The Sixth Planet
by Lirina
Summary: Kanata discovers their map is outdated, Aries that they are short on food, and Luca his feelings for Ulgar. Out of options, the Astra lands on Nemesis, a planet harbouring a dark secret. What awaits team B-5 is a hostile environment filled with bloodthirsty monsters and aliens with questionable motives. Ulgar x Luca
1. Chapter 1

_09/19 B*Stoke_

So today I was looking at this site, and how come there are no UlgarxLuca fans? Best couple is totally neglected, seems I have no choice but to build an entire fandom by myself...

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"This is so boring", Quittorie exclaimed. "I wonder when we'll reach the next planet. We have been in space since forever." She kicked aside an empty container and sceptically looked at the boxes in front of them.

"It shouldn't be much longer", Aries replied trying to be cheerful. The two were on duty to prepare dinner for the group. A task that involved combining random food items into a nutritionally balanced and somewhat tasty meal. "How is it going with you and Zack?", Aries asked to distract her friend as she opened one of the containers.

Quitterie blushed. "Well, actually…", she began while Aries was taking out various food items from the storage containers.

"These nuts are still here from Vilavurs, we should really eat them now." The girl sighed. Clearly, the storage unit needed tidying. Why had no one ever thought of this?

"I'd rather know more about you and Kanata", Quitterie continued. The blonde moved next to Aries who was struggling to open another box, trying to help. "This one is really tough." Despite their pushing, the lid did not move an inch.

Now it was the pink-haired girls turn to blush. "There isn't… Ah, Luca could you help us opening this box?" She was relieved to see her teammate walking by the storage unit. Not that she did not want to talk about Kanata but the lack of news would surely disappoint Quitterie. It was frustrating how dense their captain was when it came to her feelings.

"Sure thing", the addressed teen nodded. Inside the storage room, Luca examined the container. It looked the same as all the others, a meter tall and made from metal. There was no reason why it should not open. "Let me have a look."

"So?", Quitterie asked while Luca was busy with the container. She sat down on an empty box and looked at Aries expectantly.

"Nothing really. You know Kanata", Aries replied reluctantly. "Hey Luca, is there anyone you like?" She stopped, wondering. "Would you want a boyfriend or a girlfriend?"

"No one really", Luca replied. His attention was directed towards the box. Now, with a bottle of oil that had seemingly magically appeared in his hand, he tried to coax it into opening. "I haven't decided whether I'd want a girlfriend or a boyfriend—or both." Luca had become used to being involved in the girl's conversation, often being treated like a female friend. It was interesting and their openness towards certain topics surprised him.

"Hmm", Quitterie made, evidently his response had piqued her interest. "You're always flirting with Ulgar. You might as well admit you have a thing for him." Some people could be quite dense when it came to love, Quitterie knew from experience. It was not really a surprise that Luca was the same. He had been under bad influence for too long.

In the meantime, Luca had opened the container but did not pay attention to its contents. "I'm not flirting, he's just fun to tease", he explained his behaviour. "Ulgar is my friend, like you all are." It had not crossed his mind that there could be anything more between the two.

Quitterie was not satisfied so easily. "You know, Funi said she's going to marry Ulgar. You better hurry or you will lose to a ten-year-old."

"As I said, it's not like that." It was true that around Ulgar, he felt more like a girl, but there was still so much about himself that he did not fully understand. Not that it bothered him.

"Well, whatever", Quitterie replied. "I'll support you, Luca. Ulgar always looks so serious, he really could do with someone as positive as you. So that would leave Charce for Yun Hua, I wonder what she thinks."

"Eh, I don't think that those two - ", Luca began.

"It's empty", Aries suddenly interrupted, drawing the conversation back to the container. The girl stared into the box with disbelief. She remembered having filled it, but then again, all containers looked identical. There was no way to distinguish one from another.

"What do you mean 'it's empty'?", Quitterie asked. "Just take another then." There were three containers still filled, having one less was not a great worry to her. They would arrive at their next destination soon enough anyway.

But before Aries could reply, the group heard Kanata calling them to the bridge.

"Guys, I have something to tell you", Kanata announced as everyone had gathered. Zack, now standing next to their captain, had put up their travel route on the main screen.

"As it turned out, our map is incorrect. Our next planet isn't two days away, it's two weeks", Kanata explained, looking at the group. "However, there is no reason to worry… ."

As everyone was questioning how to approach the situation, Zack continued. "I have identified another planet that we should be able to reach within five days. We do not have much data about this planet but it should have food and water. Our supplies should last long enough to get there safely." He brought the planet into focus on the screen.

"Are we really going there?", Quitterie asked not exactly happy. It was true, the planet looked dark and gave out a hostile aura.

"It looks scary", Funicia added in agreement with her sister. There was something about this planet that did not seem right, even she could feel it.

"We don't know what it's gonna be like", Kanata argued. "Who knows, it may be nicer than it looks."

"Actually, there is another problem", Aries began, abruptly changing the topic. She presented everyone with their recent discovery in the storage room.

"So we have less food than we thought", Kanata summarised. "That's no reason to panic." However, his grumbling belly told the group otherwise.

"You're totally panicking", Quitterie threw in.

"Rationing the remaining food shouldn't be a problem", Ulgar suggested. "It's only for five days."

"That's true, humans can go much longer without food", Charce agreed. "I can make a plan to ration the food."

"Ehm, if you don't mind … I could help you", Yun Hua offered hesitantly.

Despite his usual liveliness, Luca remained silent. Contemplating his feelings, he looked at Ulgar. It was true, he enjoyed being around the black-haired teen and liked having his attention. But this and being in love were two different things.

"There was actually something else I wanted to ask you, Luca."

He was so absorbed into his thoughts about Ulgar that he had not noted Aries approaching. The others had started to disperse and the cheerful girl was now standing in front him, holding a piece of light-blue fabric in her hands.

"I found this when we were in the storage room", she explained. "It's so pretty and there is more of it. I thought maybe we could make clothes out of it. You know, everyone seemed so down about our food and this new planet."

"That's a great idea, Aries!", Quitterie, who had overheard the conversation, exclaimed. "I didn't bring enough clothes for a never-ending space trip. And look, my uniform is so worn-out!" Visibly excited and having forgotten of the issues ahead, the blonde examined the fabric. "Do you think we can find some in pink?"

Excited about this new project, Luca forgot about his thoughts. He slid his hands over the soft material. "Hm, this material looks durable. It must have been in there for a long time, but it's still perfectly good to use." The teen had never sewn clothes before but surely it could not be too difficult. Plus, Quitterie had a good point, they were in dire need of alternative clothing.

xxx

"Do you think we have enough for everyone?", Aries asked after she had brought whatever she could find and dumped the fabric on the floor of Luca's room. There were three rolls overall, two pale blue fabrics, resembling a cloudy sky and a plain white one.

"Too bad we don't have pink." Quitterie had a sample of the blue fabric in her right hand and a sample of the white fabric in her left. "Which one do you think Zack would prefer?"

"We can just dye them the colour we want." Luca smiled, looking forward to experimenting with fabric dye. "We can look for materials once we land. I've heard people in the past used beetroot to get red dye."

"I want pink, too!" Funicia added, a bright smile on her face. "Like Quitterie."

"Aries, how about something like this?" While the others were talking about their colour preferences, Luca had drawn sketches of the clothes he could imagine himself making. Now, he turned his tablet around for the others to see.

It depictured a dress, plain but cute and easy to move around in. Aries was visibly happy. "It's so pretty. Can we really make something like this?"

Quitterie was not satisfied that easily. She put the fabric back on the ground and commented on the one major flaw of the piece. "It needs more cleavage. How else is Kanata ever gonna notice you?"

Aries blushed. "I'm not—" Suddenly the door opened and the girl fell silent. What if their captain had heard them talking? Sometimes her blonde friend was too open and direct.

But it was Ulgar standing in the door. "Luca, can I borrow that…." He stopped, noticing the sketch the addressed teen was still holding out.

"Have you ever heard of knocking?", Luca asked pretending to be annoyed. He then changed his voice to a more playful tone. "Or did you hope to see me naked again?"

Ulgar had vowed to himself not to fall victim to Luca's teasing again, but as of now, he was standing at a zero percent success rate. "I wasn't, I'm sorry", he said looking down to hide his blush. There were a million smarter replies than his, but blank as his mind was, he could think of none of them.

"What's with the dress?" Ulgar asked then, regaining his composure after what felt like an eternity. He stared at the picture, trying to suppress random memories of a certain beach incidence from a while ago.

"You want to see me wearing it?", Luca responded unable to resist. It was funny how Ulgar always provided him with such easy openings. How could he not take advantage of it?

Again. Ulgar balled his fist. Sometimes talking to Luca was like trying to navigate through a minefield. Although this time, he could not deny that the other's words had some truth to it. Ever since the incident on the beach, he was thinking of Luca more and more as a girl. Perhaps having a full-front view on his friend's exposed breasts had something to do with it. "A bit", he then admitted, his voice low.

His reply had a greater effect than Ulgar had expected. Everyone in the room was quiet, looking at him in surprise.

"Really?", Luca asked then. One of the rare times he was speechless. His mind had been prepared for Ulgar getting upset or wordlessly leaving the room, but such a direct answer surprised him. It was completely unlike him.

Having noticed the impact of his words, Ulgar was at a loss of what to do. He had thought he had beaten Luca at his own game, but somehow he felt like the loser. "Just forget about it!" Without thinking twice, he slammed the door with one swift move, leaving him alone in the otherwise empty corridor. What had he been thinking?

Inside, Quitterie held her hand in front of her mouth and whispered to Aries, "totally flirting."


	2. Chapter 2

"You were right, Kanata", Aries said. "It doesn't look as bad as it did from space." She felt slightly uncomfortable wearing her new clothes as the group disembarked onto the planet. In favour of practicality, the girl had chosen shorts and t-shirt instead of the dress. While it closely fitted around her neck, Quitterie had added a slit just above her chest, much to Aries disliking.

The blonde herself had been unable to decide on a design and still wore her uniform. Quitterie imagined that once she had found a pink dye, Luca would figure out how to transform her vision of the perfect outfit into reality. The girl now sceptically looked at the unfamiliar environment. What had looked gloomy and hostile from space, had turned out to be perfectly ordinary after landing.

Luca had made himself shorts and a sleeveless top, which he wore under his vest. The teen had briefly considered making a dress just to annoy Ulgar, but given up on the thought as he had realised that he would not feel comfortable wearing a dress for the rest of the trip. "So vast!", the purple-haired teen described their sight.

The Astra had landed on a grassy plain, stretching as far as the group could see to the West, surrounded by woodland from the North and East and bordering a vast lake to the South. It was a cloudy day, yet the climate was temperate.

"Looks kinda normal", Quitterie commented the scenery, shielding her eyes with her hands, although the sun did not manage to penetrate the clouds. "Maybe it won't be that bad here after all."

"I wonder what kind of animals we will find", Charles wondered. "Would they be similar to those we have at home? Given that the environment is very similar, we might see cases of convergent evolution." Visibly excited, he left the ramp of the Astra, and examined the soil. "There are footprints! And they're huge!"

Suddenly the ground was shaking. "Another earthquake?!" Alerted, Kanata considered their surroundings. The lake, albeit huge and stretching to the horizon, would not be large enough to give rise to another tsunami. This time, nothing could possibly happen to the space travellers. But he could not take any risks. "Everyone! Let's go back into the Astra."

"Wait", Zack suddenly halted the group. Standing in the doorframe, he continued, "I think this is not an earthquake. Listen."

The shaking had a regular interval to it, rhythmically like a heartbeat, and continuously became stronger. "It's those animals!" Luca pointed at a group of animals emerging from behind the forest. Occasionally crying out, a herd of around thirty animals slowly came closer, slowly heading towards the lake. The animals were of brown colour and looked like a strange crossing of a horse and an elephant, except thrice as tall as the latter.

Kanata was happy. "Seems our dinner is approaching!" If they would manage to take one of them down, it would provide more meat than the Astra could carry.

"They are so huge", Funicia commented as the animals had reached the Astra and passed by without showing any interest toward the ship or the group. "I want to name them Horfants."

"They are certainly big", Charce agreed, exiting the Astra again. "Yet they don't seem dangerous, and look, they are eating grass."

"Herbivores?", Funicia remembered the term the other had taught her. She was visibly proud and smiled at the Astra's cook, who nodded in recognition.

As they were approaching the herd, who still showed zero interest in the group, Kanata pictured all the meaty dishes Charce could make for him. "We only need one of them", he said. As they had rationed their food, the storage of the Astra was nearly empty. The quicker they could fill it back up, the better.

"Edible", Zack confirmed after testing. Next to the huge animal, he seemed tiny. At his full height, the bespectacled student was still shorter than the animals' legs. And their mass was enormous, a colossal rump and a tail reaching to the ground.

"I doubt we can kill it though." Ulgar did not hesitate and slammed his spear against one of the animal's leg with one swift motion. "Their skin is tough." His arm was hurting after the impact, not that the black-haired teen would show it though. The Horfant casually turned its head and looked at him, perhaps mistaking the attack for a mosquito bite.

"What are you doing down there, Ulgar?" Taking advantage of its long tail, Luca had climbed onto the back of the same animal his friend had casually attempted to kill. Now he waved cheerfully downwards from seven meters above ground.

"Kanata, tell him that's dangerous. He wouldn't survive the fall", Zack urged his captain. However, when turning around, the genius realised that the other was no longer by their side. Instead, Kanata was attempting to join Luca on the animal's back. All Zack could do was facepalm.

"True, their skin is surprisingly thick", Charce had appeared next to Ulgar who was examining the animal more closely. "I wonder whether is to protect itself from predators." However, even he did not want to imagine a predator that could attack an animal this large.

Suddenly, the Horfant stopped grazing and slowly moved towards the lake. From below, the group could see Luca struggling to keep his balance, finding no hold on the smooth, thick skin. Kanata, still close enough to the ground, quickly jumped off. While the group was holding their breath, worried about the safety of their comrade, Luca, smiling widely, slit down the tail. Upon his friends scolding him, he simply stuck out his tongue.

Meanwhile, Yun Hua and Quitterie had examined the lake and now returned to the group. "I don't think we can drink the water", the blonde shared their findings. Despite being perfectly clear, the water had a sour and strongly acidic taste. "It tastes absolutely disgusting, I nearly burned my tongue", she added. Yun Hua showed the red markings the water had left on her hands.

"I can probably make a filter", Zack said calmly, looking at the body of water not far from the ship. "We should have the necessary materials on board."

"Ok", Kanata acknowledged. He was upset that the Horfants remained unkillable but was also aware that the group needed to set priorities if they wanted to survive. "Let's split up!"

xxx

"There is nothing edible here!", Quitterie complained. She and Yun Hua were surveying the edge of the vast plain, where the sea of grass was interrupted by rocky ground. The soil was dry and stony, only allowing for small vegetation and low shrubs.

"How about these plants?", Yun-Hua suggested shyly and pointed onto a shrub bearing fruit. However, a quick test revealed that they were inedible. It was a shame, the fruits were coloured brightly and looked mouth-wateringly tasty.

"Oh well, let's take some anyway." Quitterie shrugged. She was hungry and in a bad mood. The clouds had become darker and the area did not look inviting at all. "Maybe Luca can use them to make dye for my new clothes. He said people used fruits to make fabric dye, or vegetables, whatever. Which colour do you want for your clothes, Yun Hua?"

The other remained silent but started to pluck the fruits. "Purple would be good", she answered finally. The fruits had the size of a pineapple, yet were shaped more like a tomato. Yun Hua's stomach growled. "Sorry", she apologised immediately.

But Quitterie paid no attention to her, she had moved deeper into the shrubs. "Look, Yun Hua", she exclaimed pointing towards the soil. A sandy spot within the shrubs clearly revealed footprints. As the ground was dry, there was no indication of how old the traces were.

"Humans?", Yun Hua asked surprised. There were some obvious differences between a human footprint and the traces on the ground. The marks on the ground were bigger with the big toe being more distinct and shaped like a crescent moon. However, it was clear that who- or whatever had left its footprint was walking upright.

"Probably just an animal", Quitterie tried to calm her friend. Yet her voice was shaken and failed to have the desired effect. "Let's go back and tell Kanata and the others. Charce can have a look at this." As the two girls turned to return to the Astra, it began to drizzle. "Great, no food, weird footprints and rain", the blonde complained. "I already hate this planet!"

"Look." Yun-Hua showed her arm to the other. Were the rain had touched her, her skin had become red. "It hurts", she added. "Just like the water in the lake." Looking up to the sky, the clouds had become darker and it did not seem like it would clear up soon.

"Even the rain is trying to kill us", Quitterie grabbed Yun Hua's arm and the two hastily made their way back to the Astra with the fruits they had collected.

xxx

"You still haven't told me what your favourite colour is." Luca and Ulgar were exploring the woodland closest to the Astra. The purple-haired teen was as cheerful as ever, despite their unfriendly environment. Upon entering the tree-dominated habit, occasional animal cries were audible, some being closer than they two would have liked. There was hardly any light and even the rustling of the leaves seemed menacing.

"It's like those old dinosaur movies", Luca commented, still unimpressed. On this planet, even the trees and shrubs were huge, making the Horfants seem tiny in comparison. "Anyway, I can't make your clothes if I don't know what colour you like", the lively teen urged. "You will be the only one wearing your school uniform."

Ulgar glanced at his friend. Talkative as usual, with Luca by his side, hunting would be difficult. Perhaps this was the reason the two had not seen a single animal. "Black", he finally gave in, attempting to shut his friend up. After Ulgar had made a fool of himself and confessed that he would have liked to see his friend in a dress, he felt awkward around Luca. Yet the other acted normally and appeared to have forgotten about the incidence.

"Black is so gloomy", Luca replied, happy that he had gotten a reply. "How about yellow?"

"Shh!", Ulgar made suddenly. He grabbed his friend by the arm to prevent him from going further. Something large was approaching. They heard twigs and branches breaking, followed by loud footsteps. The woodland was suddenly quiet and seemed even darker than before.

Luca was alerted as well. "Let's hide", he said, his voice now lower and completely serious. However, this was easier said than done. The two did not know whether the animal used sight, smell or sound to locate its prey—if it was a carnivore at all. Nor had they any idea where it was headed or what it was doing.

Ulgar nodded, his gun in his hands. However, he felt no reassuring from the cold metal. If the skin of this new animal was anything like that of a Horfant, the gun would not be able to penetrate it. Still looking for a hideout, it started to rain. At first, the trees were enough to keep the ground dry, but as the two went deeper into the woodland, the water reached down to them.

"What kind of rain is this? It's hurting", Luca exclaimed, louder than appropriate. Where the rain had reached his skin, red marks appeared.

"Over there." Ulgar led his friend underneath a large leaf. With a large rock to the right and thick undershrub to the left, the spot gave them an illusion of safety. The overhanging leaf was as large as a car tyre and thick enough to withstand the rain.

Meanwhile, the threating noise emitted by the undoubtedly dangerous animal had come closer.

"Don't treat me like a girl", Luca complained but Ulgar just silently pointed at the other's clothes. A hole had already formed in his vest, revealing his shoulder. "Oh, it's not like you don't want me to be naked, is it?", he teased half-heartedly but became serious again straight after. "What about your cap?"

By the time Ulgar had arranged a second leaf so that there was space for both of them, a hole had formed in his cap. Never mind his arms that were red and hurting "It doesn't matter", the black-haired teen commented and sat down next to Luca. Sitting side by side, their knees tucked up, the small space was just enough to keep them dry.

The rain was getting stronger and the mysterious animal had now reached the other side of the shrubs where Ulgar and Luca had stood not too long ago. They could hear it breathing, accompanied by the sound of breaking branches. None of them dared to say a word.

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Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

"Can you see anything?", Luca whispered quietly. Pressed against the boulder, he glanced at Ulgar but did not dare to turn his head around. Any motion might give them away.

The beast was still on the other side of the shrubs, moving slowly as if to purposely scare them. The hard rain worked in their favour, dulling the animal's senses. It had not noted them. Yet. Ulgar was on his knees, trying to peak through the shrubs. He did not know where he took the courage to move forward from, but if the two had to defend themselves, any knowledge about the beast would increase their minuscule chance of survival.

As the animal was in his sight, the black-haired teen was taken aback by its size and monstrosity. It was better for Luca not to see this; he only shook his head to answer the other's question. A motion that took all his effort as fear paralysed him. The monster was about three metres tall, long razor-sharp claws on his paws and his mouth ajar, exposing two rows of deadly teeth and large fangs. From its anatomy, it could be a cat or a bear, Ulgar guessed. The skin was like that of a Horfant, a likely adaptation to the acidic rain, making it as unkillable as a consequence. Not that he would have tried. Packed with muscles, the beast would tear him apart in an instant.

Ulgar wondered why the animal was moving sluggishly until he discovered a large wound on its left flank. Blood dripped to the ground, mixing with the rain and leaving a dark trail behind. The mark of claws. In this woodland, there was something even more dangerous than the beast. Something that had managed to wound it.

After what felt like an eternity, the animal was out of his sight, heading into the opposite direction of them and more importantly, away from the Astra. It took another eternity until Ulgar and Luca relaxed. "We need to warn the others as soon as the rain stops", Ulgar said finally, slowly regaining his ability to move.

Luca nodded, although there was no sign of the rain calming down. "Thank you", he said then. You didn't want my new clothes to get stained so you risked damaging your cap." He had a tear in his eyes. Ulgar had changed so much, from being a selfish loner to putting Luca before himself. Maybe he had been truly accepted as a friend.

"Never mind." Ulgar looked at his friend absent-mindedly, still thinking about the beast. Luca had been quick to recover, but he had not seen it after all. "You must have put a lot of work into them and, plus, they look good on you." The black-haired teen had no idea what had made him say this, but he blamed the beast that still had a grip on his mind. Not used to complimenting others, he shifted his gaze towards the wet soil. It was true though, the pale blue complemented Luca's hair far better than his normal uniform or the crust suit ever could.

"I'll make your new clothes when we get back", Luca promised. For a moment he thought that Ulgar had complimented him but decided that he must have misheard. The rain had not calmed down and its noise, as well as the sounds of the woodland, made it harder to focus on the other's voice. Despite the rain, the woodland slowly returned back to life. Leaves rustled, strange animals cried out to one another and from far away, they could even make out the sounds of the Horfants. The tension in the air had dispersed and with the rain surrounding them, it was like they were in a separate world, underneath two giant leaves on a foreign planet.

"Not needed. I brought my casual clothes anyway", Ulgar responded, more focussed on their immediate survival. The black-haired teen still struggled to find the right words to describe the beast and the danger they were in. Yet seeing Luca smiling at him made his mouth feel dry and his lips closely sealed. There was only one name for a monstrosity like the one he had seen: terror. A nightmare turned reality. Finally, Ulgar understood the meaning of the planet's name. The others had dismissed it as a bad joke in their naivety.

Nemesis. How fitting.

Luca's smile was a stark contrast to their surroundings and this hell. And suddenly, that mesmerising smile was dangerously close to his face. "Is something wrong?" Questioning eyes looked into Ulgar's. Luca had turned around, their faces now on the same level.

Ulgar noted how big the other's eyes were, grey and reflecting his own. "What are you doing?" Nobody had ever been this close to him. They had to stay alert, their little realm hidden by the leaves was not safe. But Luca did not know. And somehow, he found calmness when looking at the other. That monster. The Astra. Luca in front of him.

Luca did not understand the other's troubles. He looked at Ulgar's face, trying to find a hint as the other did not speak. The purple-haired teen wanted to share the Ulgar's feelings but found himself in front of locked doors. He moved further forwards, ever closer, not even knowing himself what he hoped to find. Then, all of a sudden, he ran out of space. Centimetres from Ulgar's face, his world moved in slow motion. Luca could see his friend's confusion, the widening of his eyes as their lips met. He would not be able to explain his actions and was unable to predict their consequences but for a moment it did not matter. His world had come to a standstill.

Before any of them could say anything and try to comprehend the situation, there was shouting. A second later, Kanata emerged from the underwood, gasping for air and a big metal plate over his head to shield him from the rain. Why was it that he only was reliable in these situations? Ulgar thought he needed to tell Kanata to shut up but his mind was hazy and his lips tasted of Luca.

xxx

After having showered and being safely back inside the Astra, Ulgar thought about how to tell the group about his discovery. They had had a meagre meal for lunch made from fish Kanata had caught and were now sitting out the rain inside the Astra. Despite the harsh weather and their dwindling food supply, everyone was still cheerful and sure they would find plenty of food tomorrow. And how could they not? Their journey had been too easy thus far.

And Luca, Ulgar's thoughts shifted to his purple-haired friend as he stood in the lounge like a tree growing in the wrong place. His friend's teasing had reached a new level. Having always kept others at a distance, this had been his first kiss. Stolen by Luca. Strangely enough, Ulgar did not even mind. Luca, without knowing, had been his anchor to reality, having dispersed his fears without a single word. How was this even possible for a person he barely knew?

"Hey." Luca, the object of his thoughts, had suddenly appeared next to him. Cheerfully, not the least embarrassed about his bold move. Or at least that was how the purple-haired teen wanted to appear. "You're still gloomy? Should I ki-"

He did not get any further as Ulgar swiftly covered the other's mouth with his hands. They were alone in the lounge, but what if anyone would hear them? Found out that they had … kissed. "Stop teasing me like this!" What did the other think who he was? While Ulgar could not say he knew much about friendship, he was sure there were boundaries. Boundaries that Luca had blurred like his gender.

"Anyway", Luca quickly changed the topic. He had not been teasing but lacked the words to explain that, for once, he had been completely serious. Ulgar would never believe him and the lively teen had no one else to blame than himself. Instead of fighting a lost battle, he held out a measuring tape. "I'm going to make your clothes, let me take your measurements. Also, give me your cap so I can fix it."

Ulgar was taken aback. Clothes were not on his list of urgent things that needed to be addressed. "I don't need any, I told you."

"You'll be the only one still wearing your uniform. I just finished taking Kanata's measurements—wow, were his abs hot", Luca recounted before changing his voice. "By the way, the girls were also fine with me taking their measurement. Are you more of a drama queen than them?"

Ulgar hated how easily Luca was able to provoke and manipulate him, leaving him without choice. He knew that Luca was out to make him feel uncomfortable again but the black-haired teen would deny him this satisfaction. Instead, Ulgar focused on maintaining a neutral face, hoping the other would give up soon. Gosh, Luca's fingers were as slim as a girl's. Suddenly his self-discipline was crumbling, growing weaker every moment.

"As expected from someone training to kill my father", Luca noted, measuring Ulgar's arms. The purple-haired teen was surprised. Despite Ulgar's arms always having been exposed, he had never realised how muscular the other was. Of course, Kanata beat them all when it came to raw strength, but it was also evident that Ulgar had not spent his life slacking.

"I already said I'm sorry", Ulgar muttered angrily, trying to stay focused and motionless. He wished the other would hurry up, but Luca seemed to stop at every inch of his body, visibly enjoying himself. "What… what are you doing now?" His face dark red, he jumped back. Luca's hands had been in a place they should never touch.

"I'm taking your measurements", Luca replied innocently with a voice sweeter than ever, only reluctantly letting go of Ulgar's groin. "How can I make your trousers if I don't know the length of your inner leg?"

"That's it, I'm out of this!", the black-haired teen replied angrily. Upset about Luca's continued invasion of this privacy, he stormed into his room and slammed the door. Leaning back against the cold metal, now calmer, Ulgar shook the head.

He was used to Luca toying with him, what had shocked him was the reaction of his own body. The hot flush in his lower abdomen spoke for itself. How on Earth could it be that he felt sexually attracted to Luca? Luca who never missed a chance to tell him that he wanted to be treated like a guy.

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Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

As the sun set, Kanata called for a meeting. Ulgar only reluctantly left his room and tried to stay as far away as possible from Luca who was chatting with Aries and Quitterie. Everyone had gathered in the lounge and lucky for him, the only empty seat was far away from the purple-haired teen.

"Zack has finished building the filter so our water supply is secured", the captain announced. "But the rain is definitely still a problem. Essentially, we are trapped inside the Astra until it stops."

"According to our data, it should be cloudy tomorrow with a 10% risk of precipitation", Zack explained.

"We don't have a lot of food left", Charce said having checked their stock. His tone was more cheerful than appropriate given the gravity of the situation. "We'll have to go out tomorrow whether it is raining or not."

"I'll pass on having my skin burned", Quitterie replied. Despite having applied a soothing lotion on her skin, the affected areas still burned. And a glance at the others showed her that they were no different.

Yun Hua nodded. Somehow her skin had been especially sensitive, the rash affected nearly her entire skin and small pustules had formed. However, when asked the shy girl vehemently denied any pain or discomfort.

"I was thinking of making raincapes from the leaves of the plants on this planet", Luca voiced his idea. The leaves under which Ulgar and he had been hiding had been thick and robust with a wax-like coating. They had been their perfect shelter. Furthermore, the leaves on the ground had not been wilted. The purple-haired teen imaged sewing them together would not be too much trouble.

"Ok, we will be prioritising gathering leaves and stocking up our food supplies tomorrow", Kanata summarised their action plan for the next day. He paused. Unfortunately, there were more news that needed to be discussed. "There is also the matter of the footprints Quitterie and Yun Hua discovered today."

"They looked like they were human", Quitterie described their discovery. However, now the blonde was not sure anymore. The rain had surprised her and she had been more focused on returning to the Astra safely. "Well, at least they were similar."

"Can we make friends with them?", Funicia asked her sister.

Quitterie thought about it. "They probably don't even speak our language. If they even have language. I don't want to get involved with stone-age savages. They might as well be apes."

Ulgar saw that Charce was about to begin a probably lengthy explanation about the differences between human and apes. Before the other could start, he cut in. "There is also this beast, the terror, that we encountered in the woodland." Luca's lips suddenly popped into his mind, but he forced himself to remain serious. "It's dangerous. We need to stay clear of the woodland."

"Terror?", Quitterie repeated. "That's really poor naming sense. You want me to get nightmares?"

Kanata looked up. It was not like Ulgar to get scared easily, especially given that he was carrying a gun. Briefly, he thought about moving the Astra but then became distracted. "We really need a better name for it, otherwise we'll be scared before we even see it."

"How about 'teddy'?", Aries offered. "You know, from 'terror' and because it looks like a bear?"

Ulgar did not know what to say. That thing he had seen in the woodland had nothing in common with a stuffed toy. But it was not that anyone would understand. There was nothing he could do except for trying to avoid a future encounter. As he returned to his room, the black-haired teen heard the others laughing over a joke. It was a lost cause. They would all die if he did not stay vigilant.

xxx

The next morning, Quitterie woke up to a knocking sound. Increasingly becoming more urgent, the blonde yawned and slowly moved towards the door. If this was Kanata, he better had a good reason. If it was Zack, then…. Maybe the Astra's pilot had started to miss her overnight. How scandalous! However, when Quitterie opened her door, she was disappointed. It was Kanata after all, his face unusually pale.

"Quitterie, I have these stomach pains and feel dizzy. I think I am going to die", the captain said and his face told her that he meant it.

Yet it was highly unlikely that Kanata would suddenly drop dead. Guys! Surely he was exaggerating. "It's probably just the stress from being on this stupid planet", she remarked calmly. "Did you eat or touch anything funny?"

The other thought about it. "The fruits from the storage unit. I asked Charce to cook them for us for breakfast", he then replied with a voice that lacked his usual energy.

"I see", Quitterie answered. But then she realised. "Those were meant to be fabric dye! The container was clearly labelled 'inedible'. Are you an idiot?" Sometimes the blonde could not believe that she had agreed to elect this idiot to be their captain. How had they even managed to make it this far with a captain who served poisonous food? "Wait a minute", Quitterie added, suddenly realising the meaning of Kanata's words. "Did you say 'us'? Who else ate the food?"

"Well", Kanata had difficulty focusing. His stomach rumbled and he leaned against the wall for support. "Everyone, I guess. You and Yun Hua were late for breakfast and Luca and Ulgar are still recovering from yesterday—"

"Funi! Zack!" Quitterie left Kanata standing in the doorframe and hurried into the lounge. From Kanata, she had not expected any better, but Zack and Charce should have been smart enough to check the food before eating it.

"Bringing food that is detrimental for our health on board of the Astra is illogical. Why would I assume anyone would do this?", Zack calmly explained his lack of action, even though his face was pale and he felt the need to vomit.

Quitterie remained silent. Better not to tell him that she was the culprit who had brought the fruits onboard! She hoped Yun Hua would not mention anything. But there were other things the blonde had to worry about now.

"Quitterie, my belly is hurting", Funicia said weakly. She was sitting next to Zack, the unfinished meal still in front of her.

"Perhaps some water will help", Charce offered and put a cup in front of the girl. He was sparkling, as usual, with no sign of any foodborne illness. "I thought these fruits were delicious, I had no idea they were not edible. What a shame…."

Seeing Charce being completely fine, Quitterie calmed down. While she could not be absolutely sure, it was a sign that the fruits were probably not lethal. Which, in turn, meant that with a bit of rest, the others would be fine. That was all she could hope as they were doomed otherwise.

"I'm glad I didn't eat anything", Aries said as the two girls were helping the others to their beds. "I was waiting for you and Yun Hua. I was worried about her skin getting worse."

xxx

Ulgar sighed. He had managed to avoid Luca all day. The purple-haired teen had been out with Aries to collect leaves, while Charce and he had been fishing. It had been difficult for the five of them, including Quitterie, to cover for their ill teammates. Yun Hua, it had turned out had not been as well as she had pretended and had also spent most of the day sleeping. Their chances of survival were getting slimmer and slimmer and still, nobody took the looming danger seriously.

Now, dark outside, there was nothing else he could do than to polish his gun, waiting for tomorrow. The fish had never been plentiful and their only reliable source of food was probably hidden in the dark woodland. The plain, in which the Astra still resided, was devoid of any life except for the Horfants which remained untouchable.

When Ulgar was about to go to bed, a knock on his door made him look up. Luca. Who else would enter his room at this time while pretending it was the most normal thing in the world?

"Hi", Luca said smiling.

So much for the plan to avoid his purple-haired friend. Ulgar still had not come to a conclusion on how to deal with the other. Moreover, what would the others think if they found out that Luca was in his room at this time?

"I made your clothes!" Luca proudly held out the pieces of fabric. "Ah, I'm sorry about the colour", he continued, noting Ulgar's questioning glance. "I haven't found out how to make them black yet."

The beige colouration was lighter than Ulgar would have prefered, but he did not care about looks enough to be bothered. More worried about the group's survival and Luca being in his room, he sighed. The latter was on his mind more than the former which was worrying in itself.

"I couldn't finish taking your measurements, so I would appreciate if you could try them on", Luca suggested with an innocent voice.

Without a word, Ulgar took the shirt Luca had made. He was embarrassed to think back to that incident when Luca had touched him. Worse, he was sure Luca knew exactly how he felt and had come back to embarrass him even more. The best Ulgar could do was to get it over with as soon as possible. He looked at his friend, expecting him to go outside while he was changing.

"What's the problem?", Luca asked amused as if he did not get the hint. It was fun and he loved the expression in Ulgar's eyes, a mix of confusion and frustration. "We're both guys after all."

Everything was the problem. Ulgar did not understand how Luca could be so ignorant about his own impact on him. Tease had turned into torture. And there was no escape, Luca was always gravitating around him like a mosquito having found the perfect victim. The black-haired teen sighed, surrendering. "Whatever." Choiceless, Ulgar took off his shirt. He hated to be Luca's plaything, hated how he was pleased to see that the other was happy.

Having imagined that Ulgar would kick him out, Luca was surprised. Recently, the other's reactions had become more and more unpredictable. Like when he had said he would not mind to see him in a dress. Luca blushed at the memory and focused his gaze on the ground. When he looked back up again, the purple-haired teen was surprised to see Ulgar half-naked in front of him.

He had thought little further than teasing the other, but now Luca found himself staring at his friend. Ulgar shirtless was hot. His gaze shifted over his upper body, marvelling at his muscles. Too soon for Luca's liking, the other slipped on the newly sewn shirt.

"What about the trousers?", Ulgar asked. The new top was more comfortable than he had thought. Sleeveless with a raised collar and perfectly fitting. It was not that he liked stripping in front of Luca, but at least they were even now.

Ulgar's question broke the spell and Luca shook his head. Damn, his black-haired friend was more dangerous than he had thought. Especially when he was shirtless. Trousers? Luca did not know whether he would survive this. How come that Ulgar beat him at his own game?

Luca did not manage to answer. A loud noise abruptly interrupted the silence. Scratching. Something hitting solid metal. The ground shook. The sounds were coming from outside.

"Something is attacking the Astra", Ulgar said and fear was showing in his eyes. What if the beast had found them? What if it was damaging the Astra beyond repair?


	5. Chapter 5

Note that action and fighting scenes are not my strong point!

* * *

The banging and scratching accompanied by hissing and crying and general animal noise continued. Clearly, there was more than on attacker but their assault seemed uncoordinated with the sounds coming from all directions.

"They're trying to get in", Charce assessed the situation. He was already in the entrance area of the Astra when Ulgar and Luca arrived.

"Surely they won't be able to, though?", Quitterie asked, Aries appearing next to her. In contrast to Charce, her voice did not hide her fear. "Zack is in no condition to pilot the Astra. We can't leave here."

Ulgar held his gun tightly. He had quickly thrown over his uniform, the zipper still open. "What if they damage the hull? We need to go out and get rid of those beasts." Easier said than done though. The black-haired teen had no idea how to defeat the monsters roaming on Nemesis.

"In the past, people used fire to scare off wild animals", Charce suggested. "Running away from fire is a learned response. If they have already encountered it before, they will know how dangerous it is. If not, the animals should back off once they come into contact at the very least."

Luca thought about the items they had on board. There was oil in the storage unit and sufficient cloth they could burn. "I can make torches, but it will take a while", he concluded finally.

"I will go out and buy time", Ulgar said firmly. As the one holding the gun, he was the most likely not to die immediately. Maybe he could just about manage to survive long enough. If only Kanata had not eaten the dye fruits…

Charce put a hand on the other's shoulder. "I'll go with you."

As the group split, Luca went to fetch the oil. Quitterie and Aries had agreed to help him and collected materials they could burn. The fabric Aries had found, towels and spare sheets. They knew they had to work quickly, otherwise Ulgar, Charce and the Astra were doomed. Hastily, the cloth was soaked in oil and attached to their wooden spears.

"We can use the cooker to set them on fire", Luca explained having brought the makeshift torches into the kitchen.

While Luca was fiddling with the torches, Aries looked around. The Astra did not have any weapons as such, but if used correctly, many things could be repurposed. "What if we use these", she said pointing at the kitchen utensils. "Maybe be can scare them off with a frying pan."

"You're right", Quitterie agreed. The knives were not very sharp, but if thrown, they would still present a serious threat. "Let's gather this stuff just in case."

It had been so long since Ulgar and Charce had left. Too long. What if they were already dead? Luca ignored Quitterie and Aries collecting kitchen items and focused on lighting the torches. Only a little bit more…

A second later Luca was drenched and the fire alarm sounded. The sprinklers had turned on, crushing any hope of ever igniting a fire on board of the Astra.

"The torches", Quitterie exclaimed in panic. Wet as they were now, they would never catch fire.

Aries grabbed the bag containing pans, pots, cutlery, plates and whatever else they had managed to find. "Quitterie and I will buy more time. Luca, you figure out to light the torches. There's got to be a way!"

Luca could only nod as the two girls left. He punched the kitchen counter so hard that his hand hurt. Why had he not thought of the damn fire alarm? It was a basic safety mechanism every ship had. Standing in the rain, the alarm drowning out any noise, Luca thought of Ulgar. He would die. And nobody would escape Nemesis. Now the purple-haired teen wished he had kissed Ulgar one more time. Consequences mattered little to the dead.

But his friend had not gone out to sacrifice himself, Luca knew. Ulgar had more determination than anyone, paired with a strong instinct for self-preservation. After all, his goal was to become a journalist, Luca remembered. It was what he liked most about Ulgar; the relentless pursuit of his goal. A trait completely alien to Luca. Living into the day, his future was still a blank canvas. Indecisiveness, his state of mind reflected by his gender.

Luca hit the counter once more. There was no denying that he was in love with Ulgar. And he would not let him die.

xxx

Ulgar was not sure what to expect when they exited the Astra. It was dark outside, the moon hiding behind thick clouds. An eerie silence awaited the two guys, the wind blowing over the vast plain being their only companion. Was there really any living being out there?

"Maybe they have left", Charce surmised. In one hand he held a spear, in the other a flashlight. The light emitted by the Astra was strong enough to illuminate their immediate surroundings but could not penetrate the darkness beyond. Pointing the flashlight into the dark revealed little more. Grass, still wet from the rain, was all they could see.

Ulgar looked at Charce bothered by the disappointment in the other's voice. If the animals had indeed withdrawn, it was a lucky night for them. It meant they would live to see the daylight.

Suddenly, Charce stopped moving the flashlight and instead turned around. Something was wrong. A feeling of imminent danger that grew stronger every second. They were being watched. It was Ulgar who was the first to react pushing Charce aside as a giant shadow leaped towards them from behind.

Ulgar swirled around the gun ready in his hands. However, the speed of the animal caught him by surprise. All of a sudden, pain was coming from his cheek as he fell backward landing in the grass. He could taste blood in his mouth. In less than a split-second, the beast's attack had nearly killed him. Ignoring the pain, Ulgar jumped back up. Where was the beast? Where was Charce? It had all happened too fast.

The black-haired teen heard his teammate scream; he was still close by. The monster in front of him. Ulgar took aim with the gun, but the animal moved too fast, too unpredictably. A sudden sound to his left, he turned around. Another monster. This time he could see it more clearly.

Standing on two legs, the animal flashed its razor-sharp claws. It was not the teddy he had encountered in the woodland but that did not mean Ulgar could relax. Standing at two metres tall, its main weapon was agility rather than raw strength. Nonetheless, those claws measured a good five centimetres and its fangs were surely not just for show either. A dinosaur turned reality.

"They don't look like they're related to reptiles though." Charce was suddenly next to Ulgar and appeared to have read the other's thoughts. There was still no fear in his voice, only curiosity. "Its snout is more characteristic of mammals. Or could it be something entirely different? I'd love to dissect one of them."

As if it had understood Charce's words, the animal hissed and jumped forward. The second one appeared next to it. Ulgar shot without hesitation. There was only a metre in between him and the beast so despite its unpredictable movements, the laser hit.

The animals froze, but to Ulgar's dismay, it was more surprise than pain that had stopped their attack. Never having seen a laser beam before, the beasts were now more cautious. In the darkness, the black-haired teen could just about see the wound his gunshot had caused. It was small, certainly not lethal, but at least it proved that the beasts were not as invincible as he had first thought.

Then all of a sudden, a third animal appeared. It was smaller than the others, perhaps a cub. However, its youth also made it more careless. Ignoring the gun, it launched itself at Ulgar, too fast for him to dodge. In less than a split-second, it had overcome the distance between them and the black-haired teen knew he was as good as dead.

"Ulgar!", Charce shouted and threw his spear into the eye of the attacker. Because he had been so close, the spear hit the animal with full force. Not having anticipated any resistance, the animal cried and shook his head. Charce lost grip of the spear and was hauled into mid-air, defenseless.

As the two older animals approached him, elegantly evading Ulgar's gunshots, a sudden noise disturbed the scene. For a moment, nobody moved. "It's the alarm", Ulgar shouted, confused. Something must have happened inside the Astra. Luca! He hoped his friend was safe but he did not dare to turn around and look at the spaceship.

"They're startled by the sound", Charce replied, using the chance to pick up his spear. And indeed, the beasts withdrew a few metres, now appearing subdued. However, they did not run away. "The sound is not gonna hold them off for long."

Ulgar hated that Charce seemed to be always right. A moment later, the animals began to attack anew. The smallest hissed at Charce, ready to get revenge for his eye. The two older ones approached Ulgar, clearly recognising the danger the gun posed.

Ulgar held the cold metal tightly, aiming at his opponents' eyes like Charce had. Yet it was a game he had lost from the start, the beasts were almost impossible to hit and only took minor damage from the few times he managed to graze them. It was not long until the sharp claws hit his arm and the gun was knocked out of his hands. The black-haired teen now directly stared into the eyes of one of the beasts, which looked back at him defiantly. There was intelligence in his its eyes, Ulgar noted before he jumped sideways to evade its attack. Landing in the wet grass, oddly enough there was a saucepan next to him. A kitchen knife landed next to it, nearly hitting him.

"Stupid monsters!" That was Quitterie's voice. "We're not gonna let you have the Astra!" That was Aries. Ulgar noted only now that the alarm had stopped. The two girls had disembarked with two big bags at their side. From this, he noticed, they were throwing the most random items at their attackers. But where was the fire they so desperately needed? And where was Luca?

"They're huge!", Quitterie exclaimed as she and Aries left the Astra. The girls had not expected to encounter two-metre-tall monsters looking like they had escaped some prehistoric film. For a moment, they felt unable to move. "Somehow I doubt the Astra's kitchen equipment will help us… ."

Aries suddenly noted movement. "There is Charce! And Ulgar!" The two guys were obviously struggling to stay alive. Charce's spear was broken and Ulgar was empty handed with the gun nowhere to be seen. Both were wounded and breathing heavily.

"We have no choice, Quitterie." Aries tried to sound confident and threw a plate at the attacker that was closest to them. It fell several metres short and landed in the grass. The girl had never been good at PE.

Quitterie admired Aries' courage. The monsters clearly would not be hurt from random kitchen items. Her instincts told her to run away and hide inside the Astra until it was over. But how could she abandon her friends now? Out of options, she joined Aries and began throwing whatever she could find at the beasts.

A pan hit the youngest animal at the head. However, it simply bounced off and landed on the ground. Charce managed to use the opportunity to jump back, gaining a tiny bit more distance from the beast. With his spear being useless, he had managed to get hold of a pot lid which he now used as a shield. Yet suddenly the animal seemed to lose interest in him. Instead, it lowered its head, distracted by the shiny silver of the Astra's cutlery that reflected the moonlight.

"Let's regroup!" Ulgar grabbed the blonde's hand and dragged him away from the beasts.

Charce looked up and nodded. Despite their situation, he was surprised. It was rare for Ulgar to speak to him. "Where's the fire?", he asked the girls. Clearly, the beasts would not be distracted for long and lose interest in the Astra's kitchen inventory.

"The fire alarm…", Aries began just as their attackers started to close in again. "Luca is still working on making torches." She threw the last item, a frying pan, at the beasts.

Ulgar looked at the group. His gun was now their only weapon and he would have to find it first. Heck, he had hardly managed to defend himself while holding it and without the girls' help, he would have been dead already. Why did Luca take so long?

Just as the group was losing hope, a light appeared behind them. It was small, yet gradually expanded. It was Luca, a torch in each of his hand. "Hi", he smiled. The fire illuminated his face and dispelled the darkness. An angel.

* * *

Reviews are appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

Back inside the Astra, everyone relaxed. The animals had withdrawn quickly upon noting the fire, as Charce had predicted.

"Are you ok?", Luca asked worried seeing that Ulgar's face and right arm were covered in blood. He was happy that Ulgar, and everyone else, were still alive but it pained him to see his comrade injured.

Ulgar nodded briefly. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing", Quitterie said and moved in between the two. She pointed to one of the chairs, indicating Ulgar to sit down. "Let me have a look at that."

Luca knew he would only get in the way but still did not like seeing the blonde being so close to Ulgar. Her face was only centimetres from his as she examined the wound. Jealousy was not a pleasant feeling and Luca turned around to help Aries tidying. Around them, there was a mess of wet cloths, random kitchen items, half-burnt torches and puddles left behind by the sprinklers.

"You really saved us", Aries remarked with a mop in her hands. "But Charce and Ulgar saved us, too." She nodded towards Charce who was sitting next to Ulgar, waiting for Quitterie to look at his wounds. His arms and legs were covered with scratches but none of the wounds looked severe.

"We all worked together", the Astra's cook sparkled. "But I wonder what drove these animals to be active at night. Assuming they are the apex predators in this food web, there shouldn't be much for them to be afraid of. Or perhaps their prey is also night active … And why did they attack the Astra? Attacking a chunk of metal would be a waste of energy for them. Did they smell us?", he wondered. "Ah, that stings!" Quitterie started disinfecting his wounds and Charce fell silent.

"Maybe they will be friendlier by daylight", Aries smiled.

Luca nodded. "That would be nice." He was sorting the cutlery and about to carry it back to the kitchen as Ulgar approached him.

"There", the black-haired teen said and threw a blanket at Luca. "Quitterie said you burnt yours", he explained briefly. His face was clean now, apart from the wound across his left cheek where the animal's claw had left its trace.

"Thank you", Luca replied and looked at the blanket. It must have been from Ulgar's bed given that all other blankets were either burnt or wet. It took him a second to understand Ulgar's actions but he quickly regained his composure. "Do you want to share it tonight?" He just could not help it.

The answer came promptly. "No thanks!" Why again had he thought that giving his blanket to Luca was a good idea?

"Ehm… ", Aries made. Ulgar had reminded her that she was in the same boat as Luca. "My blanket was also burnt and the spares are still wet… "

"Do you want to share with me then?", Luca asked turning around to her.

"Thanks, Luca", Aries nodded gratefully. "Let's have a sleepover in Luca's room", she added directed to Quitterie.

The blonde was not completely sure whether Aries understood what she had agreed to. Then again, she was always treating Luca like a female friend. "I don't really want to sleep alone tonight", she agreed finally.

Ulgar could not believe that Luca was using his blanket to hook up with Aries. And now with Quitterie as well. "Sleep with whomever you want", he said not completely able to suppress his anger. Luca could be the Astra's womaniser if he wanted, it did not concern him. Without another word, the black-haired teen left.

xxx

The next morning, the group prepared to venture into the woods on their never-ending foraging quest. The aftermath of yesterday's night was still visible and the exhaustion written in their faces. But finding food was a top priority that could not wait until the space travellers were rested.

"Zack said he is feeling much better today", Quitterie informed the others. "He may be able to examine the damage caused by the nightmares later today. If everything goes well, we can relocate tonight. I'm sick of this place!"

Ulgar remained silent. He still failed to understand how it was 'poor naming sense' to call an animal 'terror' when 'nightmare' was totally fine with everyone.

"How's Funi doing?", Luca asked as he handed Quitterie her raincape. At the moment, the sky was clear but they were not going to take any chances. Who knew what Nemesis would throw at them today.

"It's so pretty, Luca", the blonde answered admiring the cape. Luca had chosen dark red and purple leaves for her cape, their colours intertwining beautifully. "You should become a fashion designer when we're back."

Ulgar silently observed his teammates. Luca did not look like he had done anything indecent with the girls and the rational part of his mind told him that the purple-haired teen would never take advantage of Aries' naivety. Yet Ulgar could not help but wonder. Did Luca even have this kind of desire? What was it like to have sex with Luca? A thought that he quickly banished, his face red.

"I'll look after the others while you're gone", Yun Hua promised. Her skin had healed now but the group had decided that she should stay in as a precaution. It was good to have someone who could look after their friends as well.

"I'm counting on you!", Quitterie replied while showing off her raincape. She would have prefered to stay with Zack and Funicia but was aware that there was little she could do for them now.

Luca was pleased with how much the girl liked her new clothing. However, as his gaze met Ulgar's, his smile vanished. The black-haired teen gave off an aura that made him inapproachable to Luca. With his new clothes, his dark green raincape, the bandages and the wound on his face, he looked like he already belonged to Nemesis. So handsome! Nothing was left of the high-school student and travel companion, especially as his characteristic cap was missing. Then again, Luca himself did not look much like a high-school student anymore either. It was the raincape, he decided, that made them look more mature, like adventures in a videogame. Even Charce and Quitterie, still wearing their uniforms, looked different now. Nemesis was changing them.

xxx

Inside the woods, the air was cooler and moister than in the plain. It was surprisingly peaceful too; there were animal sounds but none of them came from close by.

"These trees are huge", Aries remarked as the group wandered deeper into the woodland. Their stems were at least three metres broad and from the ground, she could not even estimate the trees' height. Strong, big branches with huge leaves completely covered the sky. From far above, they heard leaves rustling and occasional noises, indicating that there was life high above them.

Meanwhile, the ground seemed to be as deserted as the vast plain where the Astra had landed. Despite having marched all morning, no plant had proven edible, no animal had crossed their path. At least they had not encountered the teddy either. Ulgar had been vigilant but nothing hinted at its existence. Perhaps it had been nothing than a bad dream. Who knew that bad dreams could have soft lips?

"Look, there are fruits!" Charce suddenly pointed at the ground. The fruits laying on the ground, brightly coloured, stood out from their surroundings and had obviously fallen down from above. But it was the closest to food they had ever come on this planet, not counting the fish. "And they're still edible", he confirmed after testing.

"I'm not eating stuff that has been on the ground for who knows how long! It's filthy!", Quitterie complained. Then the blonde remembered how hungry she was. "Actually, never mind. I take one, please."

"Why don't we take a break and eat?", Aries suggested. It was a quiet location, with a clearing just in front of them. The hole in the ceiling made up of branches and leaves let in some sunshine. There were enough fruits for each of them plus some they could take back to the Astra. "They taste like honey", Aries remarked after taking a bite.

After finishing his fruit, Luca approached Ulgar who stood apart from the group, looking out for potential dangers. "About last night…" It bothered him that the other was thinking he would take advantage of the girls. "You know, Charce gave Aries his blanket. I didn't … didn't sleep with her." Luca wanted his friend to understand there would never be anything between him and any other crew member of the Astra simply because none of the was Ulgar. But of course, he could not say that.

Ulgar turned around. "What does it matter?", he asked coldly. "As you said multiple times, we're both guys." It did not concern him what Luca did as long as it did not jeopardise their journey home.

Luca flinched. Suddenly his jokes were coming back to hurt him. One by one, like boomerangs with poison blades. When had Ulgar become better than him at playing this game? "About that", the purple-haired teen started hesitantly. He looked at the ground, suddenly insecure. "Do you think I can take it back?"

Ulgar stared back at the other, his request incomprehensive to him. Luca being shy and cute, that was new. For a second, he thought the other was making fun of him, as he did so often. But Luca had never before appeared so genuine, almost fragile in his dilemma. "I don't care about your gender anyway", he finally managed to say. And perhaps that had been true, once.

It was Quitterie's scream that broke the awkward silence between the two. The girl was laying on the ground, a cat-like animal on top of her. It must have been stalking them, without a sound and waiting for an opportunity.

Ulgar cursed for letting himself getting distracted and shot without hesitation. Hit by the laser beam, the wild cat let go of Quitterie and jumped back. But like the nightmares, it was not critically injured and hissed at him angrily. However, unlike their nightly attackers, it was not gigantic; the cat only measured one and a half metres. It was tiny compared to the other animals they had encountered, perhaps still a kitten. More importantly, it was outnumbered. They would be able to fend it off.

Charce had his spear ready to strike and indicated at Aries to stay behind him. The feline moved elegantly like the cats on planet Astra. However, before their attacker moved again, the woodland became quiet. The animal, suddenly subdued, hissed at them and vanished in the shrubs.

"It's the teddy!", Ulgar realised. "We need to run!" Soon after, they heard its characteristic noises, breaking branches and heavy footsteps. It was a lot faster than last time, probably a different one than they had encountered previously.

"But I'd like to see it", Aries said. "It must be really cute."

Charce agreed. "I'd like to see it, too. I'm curious about it. Besides we managed to fend off the nightmares and the cat." He paused. "It's interesting that we only seem to encounter carnivores on this planet, except for the Horfants. Maybe we can find out what their regular prey is."

"I'm not running anywhere", Quitterie exclaimed. She had just gotten up from the ground and was beating the dust out of her clothes. She moved behind Ulgar, as if the gun stood any chance against the monster.

As the animal came closer, its loud cry was deafening. Seconds later the cry was answered by another teddy, approaching them from the opposite direction. There were two! And both of them were getting closer.

"Seriously we have to- !" Ulgar could not finish his sentence as in that moment, the teddy closest to them shot into the clearing, baring its fangs and its open mouth exposing the double-row of teeth. A three-metre tall monster staring at them ferociously. No wound on its flank.

"It's huge…", Charce managed to say, paralysed with fear like Ulgar had been the first time. He had not expected a beast almost twice as tall as he was.

Luca slowly moved his head and looked at his black-haired friend. "That… that's the thing we encountered before? Why did you never tell me it was this … this deadly?"

Ulgar shrugged. Not that it mattered anymore. They had no way to fight the teddy and it would squish them like worms if they would try to run. Their lives were forfeited … except maybe not all of them needed to die.

"Stay close", he whispered to Luca and then nodded to Charce. The blonde must have come to the same conclusion as he promptly nodded back. Without waiting, Ulgar grabbed Quitterie by the wrist and turned to run, dragging the girl behind him. Charce took Aries' hand and sprinted in the opposite direction. Perhaps the beast would be satisfied with chasing one of them. Perhaps the other would survive.

Ulgar knew he had lost the coin flip when he heard the teddy behind them. In a split-second, it had caught up with them and lunged forward, its mouth wide open. The black-haired teen felt himself being pulled back by a force of abysmal strength and thought Quitterie behind him had become a victim of its ferocious jaws. Yet a second later, Ulgar was able to pull forward again as the girl's raincape tore. Quitterie screamed but he dragged her forward nonetheless while the animal chewed on the leafy raincape.

Realising it had been tricked, the animal cried out, ready to continue its pursuit. Ulgar did not look back, he was breathing heavily now even though they had only run for a few seconds. Quitterie was stumbling and keeping her running cost most his energy. She clearly was a deadweight and the black-haired teen considered letting go of her wrist which would send her into her death. Luca and he would be able to use the chance and escape. Come to think of it, where was Luca?


	7. Chapter 7

This story started out innocently enough but clearly, if you let me design a world, it is gonna end up in a mess...

* * *

Ulgar did not have the leisure to search for Luca, all he could do was hope his friend was safe. Behind him, the teddy had caught up with them again, the ground shaking rhythmically under the impact of its heavy footsteps. So close, its roar was deafening. The better part of Quitterie's raincape was gone, ripped apart, and the beast would not be fooled a second time.

"I can't- !", the girl gasped but Ulgar paid no attention. The memory of Kanata rescuing him on planet Arispade flashed up in his mind all of a sudden. He would have sighed if his lungs were not already about to burst. Instead of sacrificing Quitterie, Ulgar strengthened the grip around her wrist; like Kanata had saved him.

Suddenly, the trees in front of the two moved as if having a life of their own. Ulgar was confused but could not afford to slow down. No matter what was there, they had to dash towards it if they wanted to live. Quitterie did not notice, her eyes focused on the ground, gasping for air and struggling to stay on her feet.

The teddy cried out. And the trees answered with an equally rage-driven noise. Not trees, Ulgar realised far too late. The other teddy! Exhaustion and fear must have blurred his mind. The black-haired teen had known there was a second monster, yet in his panic never processed its location.

In between the two beasts, Ulgar cursed. They were unable to escape the first teddy, and a second one would hardly increase their odds to survive this hell. As the beast roared at them, all he could do was dragging Quitterie to the side, into the shrubs. Branches and thorns tore through his clothes and scraped his skin. He could not afford to care. The trees were standing closer to each other here, perhaps they could find a space the huge teddies could not reach. Delusional, Ulgar knew. But also their only chance.

Just as they had turned to the side, the two teddies clashed. Their violent impact shook the ground. Quitterie stumbled and for the first time, Ulgar dared to look back. Instead of following them, the monsters had lost all interest in their prey. Glaring at each other, the first teddy was now launching itself at the other, its claws ready to attack.

That must have been how the teddy he had seen before had gotten its wound, Ulgar thought as he hastily helped Quitterie to stand. If this was to become a battlefield, they were far from safe. Even though Ulgar wanted to nothing more than returning and looking for Luca, he pushed on forward until they could no longer hear the sounds of the ferocious battle.

Still aiming to get further away, Quitterie's legs finally gave in. Ulgar did not have the strength to drag her back up, his own legs shaking and feeling heavy as if bound by iron shackles. Instead, he sank down next to her. They had reached a small stream flowing through the woodland, its tranquillity in stark contrast to the terror they had just lived through.

"There… it's…", Quitterie tried to speak, her mind still in disarray. Horrified and traumatised she laid on the ground like a broken marionette, paying no attention to the dirty woodland floor.

"We're safe", Ulgar reassured her, being in no better state himself. He had to go back, search until he found Luca. However, his legs failed to obey the command, exhaustion chained him to the ground.

Some time passed before Quitterie spoke again. Seconds, minutes, hours, neither of them knew. "You saved me", she said slowly, only now realising what had happened. The blonde looked at her wrist, still red where Ulgar had grabbed her way too tightly. But he had not let go. "I always thought you were dark and gloomy and that you'd leave me there to die for sure. I was wrong, I'm sorry, Ulgar."

For a while, the only sound was the gurgling of the stream and animal noises coming from the treetop above. "Never mind", Ulgar replied while offering her filtered water from a bottle that he had carried attached to his belt. It was not like Quitterie had been completely wrong after all. "I have to go back", he changed the topic. "Luca may still be in danger." More likely dead already. But he did not say that.

"Luca… ", Quitterie repeated. "Everything happened so fast, I didn't realise… ." She looked at her teammate. Why had he saved her and not Luca? Was he regretting his rash decision now? "Let's go then… Well, do you expect me to stay here alone?", she added upon Ulgar's questioning glance. If something had happened to Luca it was her fault, not that of her saviour.

Backtracking their steps took longer than anticipated and it was late afternoon until they were near the battlefield again. It was now completely quiet but the absence of any animal noises told them that not too much time could have passed since the teddies had left.

Quitterie watched Ulgar walking in front of her. The urgency in his voice, his hurried steps despite their exhaustion told her how worried the other was. Why had she not been more attentive? Focussed on herself, the blonde had not even thought about Aries and Charce for a second. All she had contributed was being a useless klutz relying on Ulgar for safety. Would he ever forgive her?

Ulgar silently cursed. Luca was not strong. He was dainty and needed to be protected. Yet he had failed him. The black-haired teen knew that if he had not grabbed Quitterie, the girl would not have moved. Statue-like, the teddy would have trampled her instantly. But still, if there had been time to save her, Ulgar could have used his other hand to grab Luca. Now Luca was probably dead and he a murderer. Once, Ulgar had been serious about killing Luca but these days were long gone. Since then, the other had been by his side, smiling, teasing, enjoying himself. Losing him now meant losing an integral part of his life. Always having been a loner, he wondered if this was what friendship was like.

Lost in thoughts, he was completely taken by surprise when something hit him in his side. The impact was strong, but he managed to remain standing. Was it the teddy? No, a hit by it would have killed him for sure.

"Ulgar!" It was Luca who was suddenly hugging him tightly. "I thought you were dead!", the purple-haired teen cried. "I thought the teddy had killed you!"

Luca. Too close. But he was alive. Ulgar froze, not knowing how to react. His shoulder wet from Luca's tears, the black-haired teen felt the urge to wrap his arms around him, protect him and never let go of his friend again. Yet he did not move, the words stuck in his throat. "It's alright. I'm alive", was all he managed to say awkwardly. He would not mind if Luca stayed like this forever though.

However, Luca backed off immediately, blushing, realising his intrusion of the other's privacy. "I'm sorry", he hurried to say. There were tears in Ulgar's eyes, he noted surprised. Had the other been this worried? Or was it his impulsive attack that had made him feel awkward? Ulgar never liked being close to other people after all. "I didn't mean to… I was just… I thought I'd lost you… ." For once, Luca was at a loss of words.

"Me too", Ulgar replied finally able to voice his feelings. "I was worried about you. I am sorry I couldn't protect you."

"Mhm", Luca nodded. "I am counting on you to protect me better next time." He smiled, happy that both of them had survived and that Ulgar appeared to care about him at least a little bit.

Quitterie had tears in her eyes as well but remained quiet as to not disturb Ulgar and Luca. She had thought of Luca's crush as hopeless but observed with interest how wrong she had been. "So how did you manage to survive?", Quitterie asked finally, breaking the awkwardness. Luca looked surprisingly well. Notably, his raincape was missing and his vest was torn but apart from that, he had only minor scratches. Truth to be told, he was in a much better condition than she and Ulgar.

"Someone saved me", Luca replied, earning disbelieving glances. "It wasn't one of us", he clarified quickly. "I was running just behind you when someone grabbed me from in between the shrubs. I couldn't see them… but they must have liked my raincape as they took it and vanished."

"There really are aliens?!"

"The aliens on this planet would be us", Ulgar remarked. He was worried, knowing what the animals on this planet were like, what could they expect from Nemesis' humans? However, in their current condition, there was little Ulgar could do. "Let's head back to the Astra. Charce and Aries probably told the others about our encounter with the teddy." They had not even agreed to meet up at the Astra. Ulgar had never liked Charce but now it was like they could understand each other without words. More evidence of the Nemesis' influence.

"Look at this", Luca pointed towards the shrubs. Behind, there was the teddy, lying motionlessly. Evidently dead. The huge jaws, sharp teeth, and long claws were no threat to them anymore. Blood was spread around and a huge wound gaped in his belly. Part of the cadaver was already missing, revealing the animal's innards.

"The other one must have fed on it", Ulgar assumed. Yet even a teddy was unable to eat a three-metre-tall beast all at once. "It will come back. Or other predators will smell the carcass." The scene made him feel sick, but he had already accepted that this was part of Nemesis. He commended Quitterie for not saying anything as he approached the dead beast.

"You don't want to- ", Luca began, standing at some distance with Quitterie, but stopped as Ulgar had already acted.

There was plenty of food on Nemesis, Ulgar confirmed using Zack's handy intervention. More than they could ever eat, in fact. It came in the form of terrifying beasts that could squish them in an instant. Ulgar regretted that his facial muscles had never learned to laugh because there could not be a more appropriate moment. It was a twisted game that Nemesis was playing with them.

Looking around, Ulgar found a dislodged claw, just longer than his hand. Based on the wound he had seen before, the black-haired teen was sure that it would be able to pierce the stone-like skin of Nemesis' fauna.

Mercilessly, he cut through the dead animal's flesh, not caring about the blood splattering on his face. Venting his frustration about his inability to protect Luca on the carcass was all he could do. They needed food, there it was lying in front of them. He had never learned how to butcher an animal but the sharp claw found its path with little effort. As Luca was shouting out to him, begging him to stop, Ulgar had already cut out as much meat as they could carry.

He tightly grabbed his newfound weapon, the teddy's claw. It was his turn to hunt now.

On the way back, nobody said a word. Luca quietly observed Ulgar. He had changed even more now, had suddenly grown colder and more distant. Yet he still vividly remembered the warmth of his body and the worry in his friend's eyes. "When you said you were worried about me", he began trying to find the Ulgar he knew. "How worried exactly were you?"

"What kind of question is that?!"

That was better.


	8. Chapter 8

Last chapter: "We're all gonna die!"

This chapter: "We live in a happy world made of fluff!"

I love this story...

* * *

"Yesterday, Zack assessed the damage the nightmares have caused to the Astra", Kanata, now completely recovered, explained. Sitting around the table in the lounge, the captain had summoned the Astra's crew to discuss their current situation.

"Luckily, the ship is not majorly damaged. The repairs should take around a week", the bespectacled student added.

"We have to stay a week on this planet?!", Quitterie complained but her voice lacked her usual sharpness. Yesterday's narrow escape was still on her mind. "I hate this place and we don't know when we'll be attacked next."

"Well, we also need to find enough food so we can't leave immediately anyway." Kanata was in good spirits, happy about the meat Ulgar had brought back. Before Quitterie could add anything, he switched topics. "Charce, can you explain to us what you have discovered about Nemesis' ecosystem?"

The addressed teen nodded. "You see, normally a food web is comprised of many trophic levels -"

"What's a food web and why does it have trophies?", Funicia enquired.

"A food web is comprised of many food chains which depend on the biome, ehm, the area. For example, a hawk may prey on rabbits and frogs. The rabbit eats grass whereas the frog eats crickets which also eat grass. Now, the rabbit may also be hunted by foxes. There are many predator-prey relationships that co-exist in the same - "

"The point being?", Ulgar asked.

"Well, normally, there are many levels in a food web with herbivores at the bottom and apex predators standing at the top. Nemesis, however, is different", Charce explained politely, not bothered by the interruptions. "Here, there appears to be only one level."

"The predators prey on each other?", Aries asked.

"So it would seem", Charce replied. "The only herbivores we have seen are the Horfants and they do not appear to be hunted by the woodland predators or the nightmares. We know the teddies practice cannibalism which adds further evidence to my theory."

"Hence, to find food we have to kill these beasts", Ulgar summarised what he had already known anyway. "Suits me, I'm done running away."

"But how can we kill them?", Yun Hua asked. She had not seen any of Nemesis' predators but from her teammates' accounts, she knew how terrifying they were.

"Look at this." Ulgar revealed the claw he had taken from the teddy. Like a knife, he used it to cut through the table. The metal parted under its influence like butter. "Whatever material this is, it will cut through their skin… and pretty much anything else."

The group looked at the cut mark in disbelief. "And you want to attack beasts that have ten of these?", Luca asked unsure whether this was a good idea. Ulgar's affinity for potentially lethal objects worried him.

"Well, ideally I throw it at them", the black-haired teen explained. Although that did not explain how he planned to get close enough to do so without being ripped apart first.

"We can also gather more of the honey fruits", Aries interrupted, switching to a more positive topic. "We found plenty yesterday that had fallen from the trees."

"Meaning there will be more of them higher up in the trees", Charce surmised. "If we can climb them, we may find more fruits."

"Then we can also look for the aliens." Luca recounted his encounter with the unknown species. "It seemed to like my raincape so maybe we can trade with them. Since they live here, they must have tons of food."

"It seems we have three things to do on Nemesis: find a way to climb the trees, make contact with the aliens and obtain meat by killing animals", Kanata summarised. "But anyway, let's take it easy today."

xxx

Ulgar felt restless. Kanata had ordered him and the others to rest for the day while Zack and he were starting to repair the Astra. It was a decision that made sense, heading into the woodland without being fully recovered would be a suicide mission. Equally, it would be dangerous for Kanata and the others to face the monsters without having ever encountered one before.

But being patient was not easy. Not when their survival was at stake. The black-haired teen balanced the claw in his hand. Sharper than anything he had ever seen before, Ulgar had to carefully hold it at the base, otherwise, he risked cutting off his own fingers. As weapons were forbidden on planet Astra, he had never seen an item as dangerous before. Doubtlessly, the teddy's claw could be sold in the underground for a fortune. A sudden knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. Somehow, he was not surprised to see Luca entering his room.

"Hey", the other greeted him. "How are your wounds?" Ulgar's right arm was still bandaged from the wound the nightmares had caused and the wound on his cheek stood out from his pale skin.

"It's nothing." Petty injuries would not stop him when their life was at stake. "More importantly, why are you here?", he asked seeing that the other seemed to have brought the whole inventory of the Astra with him.

"Well it's not like I can afford to rest", Luca explained. "I have a mountain of clothes to fix. You had to ruin your new clothes, of course. Then, there is also Quitterie's raincape, my raincape, my vest, your cap, everyone else's raincapes… The list just gets longer and longer. I feel like I'm the ship's tailor." However, he did not explain why he dumped the mentioned clothing plus a whole other load of stuff on Ulgar's bed.

"And?"

"I figured I might as well do it here rather than sit in my room by myself." Luca smiled.

"What it someone sees you here?"

"I'll tell them we're busy making out and they should come back - "

"You're not!" On one hand, Ulgar was glad that Luca was in a place where he could keep his eyes on him, at least he could ensure that yesterday would not repeat itself. On the other hand, being alone with Luca made him feel uncomfortable. Dressed in casual clothes without his usual vest, Ulgar found it hard not stare at the clearly visible outline of Luca's nipples.

"It's not a big deal anyway." Luca sat down on the bed and started going through the items he had brought. "The other day Aries and Quitterie slept in my room and we are planning to have another sleepover because Yun Hua missed the first one… Seriously, Aries is hot in her underwear."

Ulgar was desperately trying to maintain what he thought was a neutral expression, hiding his attraction to the purple-haired teen. However, Luca's words did not exactly make it easier. "You said you didn't do –"

"I didn't but I watched the girls changing", Luca explained casually.

"You're not going to any more sleepovers!" There was too much emotion in his voice. It was not like him to tell others what they could do; normally Ulgar would hardly care. Yet it annoyed him that he could never understand how Luca's mind worked. One day he was commenting on Kanata's abs, the next it was Aries that had his attention. But never him. Yet it was Ulgar who had to deal with Luca in his lewd attire.

Luca briefly wondered whether Ulgar's reaction was due to jealousy but concluded that it probably was a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment. His facial impression seemed angrier than usual as well. "Don't tell me you never felt like peeping on the girls changing?", the purple-haired teen asked with an innocent voice.

"No!" Undressing Luca in his mind was a completely different story though.

"Hmm… ", the other made amused.

Ulgar decided it was best to abandon the conversation. There were more urgent issues anyway. "Why don't you start fixing that vest of yours?", he suggested hoping the other would get the hint.

"Quitterie and I won't be able to go out without our raincapes. And I haven't even made one for the others", Luca replied as he was looking through the leaves he had brought.

Ulgar watched his friend from the corner of his eye, not daring to fully face him. Luca had come in less than ten minutes ago and already his room was in a state of disarray he had never known was possible. The clothes were still in a pile on his bed, with the remainder now invading his desk. Some of Luca's tools had fallen down and rolled over the floor. He sighed, the room looked more like Luca's than his.

Deciding to leave Luca to his things, Ulgar focused on the claw once again, trying to use it like a dagger. Although his plan was to throw it at his enemy, to deal a lethal blow he would have to be close to his target. A sudden knock on his door startled him, causing him to nearly cut his finger.

"We're busy making out - !", came Luca's voice from the bed.

"We're not!", Ulgar interrupted quickly, his face red.

"What are you making?", Funicia asked curious as she entered the room. "Quitterie said there were scary monsters in the woodland. Are you ok, Ulgar?"

Ulgar wondered when his room had become a meeting point for people with too much free time. "I'm fine, Funi", he confirmed.

"So, what are you making?", Funicia asked again but stopped as she noted the items dispersed through the room. "Are you making a raincape for me? Is it a surprise for me? Is that why your face is red?"

Ulgar facepalmed. Luca better took responsibility for this.

"I want one just like Quitterie's", the girl informed him, smiling happily.

"I have better things to do than making raincapes for little girls", Ulgar complained but Funicia had already left. He looked at Luca. "You better teach me this stuff."

Luca had watched the scene from the bed. It always surprised him how easily Ulgar went along with Quitterie's sister despite wearing his usual, annoyed face. He sighed, seven years difference in age was not all that much. "Is there anyone you like, Ulgar?", he asked tentatively. "Do you have a girlfriend back home?"

Ulgar had started looking for leaves he could use for Funicia's raincape and tried to sort the pile of random stuff Luca had brought. "I don't need anyone like that."

Of course not. Ulgar had grown up in a loveless environment and the concept of love was as much alien to him than friendship had been. "Does that mean you have no sexual desire?!"

"I guess so", Ulgar answered soberly before he had fully processed the other's words. "Wait, I didn't say- !" He had no idea how to answer the question, somehow, he felt that whatever reply he gave would worsen his situation. Like being stuck in quicksand, struggling would only hasten his demise.

"Then what are your preferences?", Luca continued torn between amusement about Ulgar's embarrassment and the knowledge that the answer would disappoint him. "Do you like busty girls like Yun Hua or cute girls like Aries?"

Ulgar could hardly suppress the urge to shout at Luca to shut up but upon looking at the other's eyes, no words came over his lips. Luca's expression was serious; he was not teasing him. Instead, his gaze revealed insecurity, almost as if he feared the answer.

Back home, Ulgar's life had been too focused on revenge to care about girls. Onboard of the Astra, no one was as alluring as Luca. "Small breasts", he replied finally. "Not curvy at all. Annoying, too, most of the time." Apparently, that was what he liked.

"That doesn't sound like a nice girl at all… " Luca wondered whether Ulgar's unhappy childhood had warped his sexual preferences or whether he had always been this strange. At least the description did not fit any of the girls on board of the Astra, the purple-haired teen noted relieved. "As for me", he continued with his usual carefree attitude, "I like – "

A sudden knock on Ulgar's door ended their discussion. Ulgar wondered whose turn it was to bother him next as Luca shouted, "we're busy making -!"

"Shut up, Luca!"

* * *

Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

This chapter took me a long time to write and annoyingly I don't even have much to show for it. Just Ulgar and Luca slooooooowwwwwwwwwwwllllllllyyyyy getting closer to each other. And the fact that I have to spell it out probably means this chapter isn't that good.

It has been asked why Polina is not part of my story. I started publishing this story here while the anime was still ongoing so I omitted her for the simple reason of avoiding spoilers. Plus, her presence would not really affect the story in any way so there is no real need for me to write an extra person (I'm lazy). I've also been really vague about at what stage of the journey my story takes place so Polina might actually be there but not saying anything. It's up to your imagination.

If anyone has any other questions, please let me know!

* * *

"Not knowing when we will be attacked next is inconvenient and leaves us vulnerable", Zack explained as Team B-5 had gathered outside of the Astra. "That's why I build this electric fence."

The spaceship was now surrounded by metal poles, evidently taken from the Astra's storage unit. Standing a stone throw away from the ship, the structures were connected by rows of thin wire. Although the construct did not look very sturdy, the Astra's pilot reassured that the electric current was strong enough to deter any monster. "It's also strong enough to kill a human", he added with a casual tone. Immediately, everyone took a step back.

"And you built all this in one day?", Luca asked. He shielded his eyes with his hand as the metal reflected the light of the setting sun.

"Kanata did most of the lifting", Zack explained nodding towards their captain. "To make it work, I diverted current from the Astra's generator. So as for now, we won't have electricity on the Astra at night. Also, the hot water in the showers won't work."

"There's no hot water?!", Quitterie exclaimed, yet having dealt with Nemesis' monsters, she preferred being alive over living in comfort. "Fine then", the girl gave in. "But you better work on finding an alternative."

"What are these for?", Aries enquired pointing to the top of one of the poles. Standing closest to the fence, the girl had noted a small white box fitted onto the top of each pole.

Zack wordlessly picked up a pebble and threw it against the fence. Suddenly, the group could hear Yun Hua's singing voice coming from the boxes. Yet, upon turning around, they found the girl standing behind them quietly. "This is the alarm", the pilot explained. "People always panic when they hear an alarm, limiting their ability to make rational decisions. Yun Hua's voice will help us to stay calm."

"Don't you think we will stay a little too calm?", Quitterie remarked.

"Or it might attract more of these monsters that like to listen to Yun Hua's voice", Charce gave to consideration.

"I think it's great", Aries smiled. "I already feel much calmer."

While everyone was inspecting Zack's brilliant work, Funicia approached Ulgar. "I went to the lake today with Quitterie. Look what we found." The girl held out her hand, revealing a feather. Surprisingly normal sized, it displayed a pretty colouration of shades of green and blue. "Do you want to wear it?" Funicia pointed towards her hair where she had already attached a similar feather.

The black-haired teen could not see the point of wearing fancy hair accessories but it seemed to make Funicia happy. Ulgar reluctantly squatted, so the girl could stick the feather into his hair.

"If you don't do anything, Funi will really steal him from you," Quitterie said having noted Luca's gaze focused on Ulgar. "That's my sister for you", she added proudly.

"Not like I can do anything", Luca replied, his voice sharper than he had intended. Even kissing Ulgar had not offered him salvation. Eternally doomed to be a bystander, the purple-haired teen watched Funicia's disappointment as the feather failed to stick in Ulgar's hair and floated towards the ground. Quitterie had a point. It was only around Funicia that Ulgar seemed to relax, his irritated scowl turning into a cautious smile. Why did it hurt so much? Why had Quitterie come to pity him in his misery?

"Giving up isn't gonna make anything better", the blonde replied, her enthusiasm and optimism seemingly inappropriate. "Let's combat accessorising with accessorising", she suggested.

Without waiting for Luca's response, Quitterie attached a flower to his hair. "There." Glowing red, the blossom had the size of a tennis ball. "Feathers are for kids anyway."

"I'm not sure I like wearing this", Luca remarked, failing to see how an accessory would be able to influence Ulgar's feelings. "How come you are supporting me, Quitterie? Funi is your sister."

"Come on, she's only ten." Plus, she had already seen how much Ulgar cared about Luca. "Just don't tell Zack that I brought back inedible stuff again or he might find out that - "

"Find out what?" The bespectacled teen was suddenly next to them.

"It's all Kanata's fault!", Luca heard Quitterie say as he quietly left the scene. He appreciated the girl's help, although its usefulness was doubtful.

xxx

"So how is this gonna work?" It was the next day and Ulgar sat on the floor of his room, surrounded by a sea of leaves, fabric, tools and other random materials Luca had brought over. He was battling with leaves and glue in an attempt to make Funicia's raincape.

"Aah this is all wrong!" Luca was sitting opposite his friend, still working on fixing their clothing. "You can't just glue them! And you need to cut the edges off first anyway." He had not expected Ulgar to be a master tailor but his pitiful attempts surprised him still. "It will be exposed to the rain, therefore, you have to sew it from underneath so that the threat is not visible from the outside. If you glue it, it's just gonna fall apart."

"It's that complicated?" Ulgar looked up, already losing the patience he never thought he had in the first place. Luca was amazing. Simple raincapes they would discard as soon as they waved 'goodbye' to Nemesis, yet made with a lot of thought and effort.

"Let me show you." Luca grabbed a pair of scissors and began cutting the leaves into squares. Ulgar out of his comfort zone was fun to watch and he enjoyed being relied upon. Yet Quitterie's words were like dark shadows mercilessly assassinating any joy. The red flower in his hair was proof of his desperation, wilting and slowly dying alongside his hope. All that was left was frustration but he had long passed the point of no return. Sighing Luca started sewing the leaves together, lost in thoughts and not realising he had taken over Ulgar's task.

Ulgar quietly watched his friend. Wearing his vest again, he was actually able to face the purple-haired teen without a whole host of inappropriate thoughts forming in his mind. Luca's fingers were skilful and nimble and he found himself mesmerised by their swift movement. Yet the black-haired teen did not fail to notice that Luca was unusually quiet and there was a suspicious absence of awkward questions. Unskilled in making conversation, he wondered whether he should say something. Luca could start a conversation like it was his second nature, another skill Ulgar had never before fully appreciated. "Did Funi give you that flower?", he finally asked stiffly, nodding towards Luca's new hair accessory.

"Quitterie did", Luca replied, interrupting his work. Although the other members of Team B-5 had complimented him, Ulgar had not said anything about the flower. Not like he had expected Quitterie's idea to miraculously solve his dilemma. "It looks weird, doesn't it?"

Ulgar hesitated. Luca's cuteness was undeniable. Charming in both appearance and demeanour. Yet also somehow ingenuine. "Not like something you'd normally wear", he concluded non-commitally. However, in truth, it stirred him in a way that he could not quite grasp. Unlike sexual attraction, much vaguer and more disturbing. "You don't have to force yourself and wear something just because it was a present."

Luca was surprised. How was it that Ulgar could suddenly see through him with crystalline clarity when it used to be the other way around? "I guess not." He was not a girl, wearing fancy accessories was a game of make-believe to him. With another sigh, Luca removed the wilting blossom from his hair and held it in his hand. What a fool he was. Ulgar was not the prize of a competition between him and Funicia nor would superficial decoration would win his smile. Never before had it been a problem for Luca to voice his thoughts in front of his friend. And that would not change. Small breasts, not curvy and sometimes annoying. "Ulgar… are you into kids?"

"What?!" That question sounded as much like Luca as it was alarming. But at least now Ulgar could understand his strange behaviour. The black-haired teen had always made sure to keep a neutral expression and to hide his body's reaction to Luca, but perhaps his acting skills had fallen short. "You know… Just because you don't have big breast doesn't mean I see you as a child."

Luca dropped the scissors, the noise of its impact amplified by the awkward silence that followed. "You don't see me … what?!" The confusion visible in his grey eyes, he failed to understand, his brain working as if on drugs but its output incomprehensible.

"That's not what you meant?", Ulgar asked, suddenly wishing he could travel back in time just enough to re-answer the question.

"No… Well, thanks for not seeing me as a child, I guess…" Due to his lack of a clear gender, Luca had faced numerous challenges in his life yet nobody had ever called him a child. Ulgar's words cut straight through him like the razor-sharp teddy claw. Why did it hurt so much?

"I didn't mean it that way." Ulgar cursed himself. One misunderstanding had led to the other and suddenly they had found themselves on a one-way street without escape. He could see Luca's pain, shared it like it was his own. "Look, I like them the way they are … your breasts. They're … ." Hot. Seductive. "I mean I'm sorry I stared at them."

Luca blushed. His hands protectively over his chest, he looked aside. "You can stare if you want … just a little bit." Ulgar's behaviour still made little sense to him, but his own question whether the other liked children had been equally foolish.

"Just forget about it!" Ulgar was unable to decide whether Luca was serious or teasing him. Probably the latter. It was frustrating about how little he understood his friend.

"So what do you think of Funi then?", Luca continued, back to normal.

"Funi?" Ulgar was finally able to connect the dots and understand the other's motive. "You think I'm a paedophile?!" Luca did not answer and all he got was a gaze, embarrassment mixed with guilt. Irresistible. Their whole discussion seemed surreal making his accusation feel less out of place. Thinking about Quitterie's sister, the image of his elder brother flashed up in Ulgar's mind. He had been at his side, supporting him even when nobody else was. "Perhaps I'm trying to be like my brother", he concluded. "But I'm not very good at it, am I?"

"Funi likes you so you must be doing something right", he replied, surprised by Ulgar's unusual openness. "Let's make the prettiest raincape we can for her... Well, I seem to have already halfway finished it", Luca noted looking at the leaves on his lap.

"What about your brother?", Ulgar asked as Luca pushed the half-sewn raincape back into his hands. Always the one asking questions, the other was still a mystery to him.

"Hey, this is the first time you have asked me about myself!" Luca's eyes sparkled. "We didn't have that kind of relationship", he explained happily. "We weren't close and I'm not much of an elder brother anyway."

Luca was amazing, Ulgar concluded. While he himself had always relied on his brother, Luca had never had anyone and yet, he was optimistic and cheerful. Slim and fragile as he was, where did he draw his strength from? It was a strange feeling, for the first time he was genuinely interested in another person, wanted to know more about Luca's thoughts and fears.

"Aah! You're doing it all wrong again!", Luca exclaimed noting Ulgar's unskilled attempts at finishing the cape. "You need to sew it from underneath like I did." Maybe there would never be anything romantically between them, but he would support Ulgar nonetheless.

xxx

"This is my raincape?", Funicia asked as Ulgar wordlessly handed her the clothing. Putting it on, one half perfectly sewn, the red and purple colours carefully chosen, the other half with messy seams and random dark green patches.

"Well, Ulgar did his best", Luca explained smiling.

* * *

I promise, next chapter the plot will continue and something will actually happen.


	10. Chapter 10

The trees seemed to be the key to Nemesis' secret. It was clear that they played a major role as food source, as shelter from the rampant monsters as well as being the likely home of the Nemesians.

"We have to climb them", Kanata concluded as the group had gathered inside the Astra. He hated to admit it but fruit were a much safer and more reliable food source than meat. Plus, meeting the Nemesians could open new doors for them. Not only would Team B-5 be able to trade with them, they would also be the first to discover aliens. "Zack, repairing the Astra will be your priority. Meanwhile, Aries, Luca and myself will – "

"I'll go too", Ulgar interrupted. He respected Kanata as their captain but taking his eyes off Luca while being out in the woods was unimaginable to him. His vow to protect his friend imprinted in his mind, he did not care that everybody looked at him in surprise.

Charce was the first to speak to him. "To increase our chances of trading with the Nemesians, we need to appear as peaceful and friendly as possible", he explained. "We need to be careful to not intimidate them."

"He means you look too violent", Luca remarked unnecessarily.

Ulgar suppressed his anger which took a considerable effort. But shouting would only prove that he was indeed unfit to participate in this mission. "I won't draw the gun", he promised his voice oddly calm. He would not—as long as Luca was not in danger.

Kanata nodded and continued directed to Zack. "If we manage to make contact, we may not be back tonight, but we'll definitely be back tomorrow. If all goes well, we can leave Nemesis as soon as the Astra is repaired."

As the group set out, the sky was cloudy and rain was unlikely to be far. Yet Team B-5 did not have the luxury of having to wait for better weather, they needed food and the needed to continue their journey home.

"I wonder what the people of Nemesis look like", Aries wondered. In her hands, she was flipping a recording device that Zack had given her. Its purpose was to capture the Nemesian language so that the pilot could develop a translator if needed.

"Wouldn't cat ears be cute?", Luca asked and the girl nodded excitedly.

"More importantly, what food do they have?", Kanata wondered. Nemesis was broadly similar to Astra, except for its gigantic monsters, so perhaps they would have burgers, pizzas and other normal food.

They were all doomed. Ulgar failed to understand how the others could believe in the hospitality of a species they had never met. A species that lived on a planet where nearly every other living being had tried to devour them. Kanata was unarmed and Luca and Aries were as dangerous as puppies. How could they hope to survive an assault by the Nemesians?

"Are you still obsessed with killing?", Luca asked misinterpreting Ulgar's motion to check his gun.

"I'm not obsessed!" Could Luca not understand that he simply wanted him to survive this suicide mission? "What about you? Don't you think it's naïve to assume the Nemesians will just welcome us?"

"They saved me before", Luca reminded him as they were entering the woods. As soon as they had left the plain behind, the atmosphere became darker much like Luca's thoughts. Ulgar's rash actions and his tendency towards fighting would cost him eventually. "The people of Nemesis aren't bloodthirsty monsters. Seriously, what if something happens to you?"

"What if something happens to you?", Ulgar countered.

"Then you'll save me. And I'll save you from your gloominess."

Whether Luca was serious or not, his smile was too alluring to disagree. Perhaps it was true and he needed to relax. Perhaps everything would work itself out as it always had in the past. Mulling over Luca's words, he remained silent as the group walked deeper into the woods.

"They're huge!" Kanata stopped at a particularly large tree and looked upwards. Its diameter measured a good four metres but, more importantly, its bark was smooth and would give them no foothold. As with the other trees, most of its canopy was out of their sight and even the lowest branches were far too high to reach.

"Couldn't we use a ladder?", Aries asked following Kanata's gaze.

"Except we don't have one", Ulgar replied.

Luca pointed to an equally huge tree not far away. "That one looks usable."

It was a trap, Ulgar immediately assumed. They had hardly started their search, surely it was highly unlikely a random ladder would just pop up in front of them. Yet there it was. Poorly hidden between the shrubs, it was attached to the tree and made of wood of identical colour to the bark.

Luca had already started to climb. "Might as well climb up and enjoy the view."

That was exactly why that guy needed protection, Ulgar thought as the followed his friend. It was like they were back on McPa but instead of into a wormhole, Luca's curiosity would lead them into the den of the Nemesians.

The ladder ended about eight metres above ground at the intersection of two large branches. Up in the tree canopy, the atmosphere was incomparable to that on the ground. Instead of dark and hostile, the scenery was airy and bright. A completely different planet. Despite being unfamiliar with the environment, the members of Team B-5 immediately felt safe, sheltered from the dangers roaming the woodland floor.

The branch the group stood on was about a metre wide and extended far from the tree, intersecting with the branch of a neighbouring tree. Where the two trees connected, wooden planks had been placed so that it was possible to move from tree to tree without having to descend to the ground. Their tree was not the only one that was connected to another; all trees seemed to form part of the vast and complex network that seemed to extend over multiple stories. Ropes served as handrails were the branches were difficult to traverse and platforms that allowed travellers to rest had been erected around the larger trees.

"It's amazing!", Aries exclaimed. "This must be were the Nemesians live."

"To think _this_ was here", Ulgar added as impressed but more cautious. Since their arrival on Nemesis, he had always heard sounds from above but had dismissed them as animal noises. Now the black-haired teen knew it had been the Nemesians watching them, probably laughing at their misery.

"But it doesn't look like anyone actually lives here", Kanata observed. There were no houses, even higher up in the trees nothing indicated that anyone had settled here.

Luca pointed towards the next tree, eager to explore. "We'll find them if we just follow the paths. All this… it must lead to somewhere."

"What if I fall?", Aries asked, hesitantly looking towards the understorey. It would not be a pleasant experience should they lose their balance. In all likelihood, death would await them.

In response to the girl's question, Kanata held out his hand. "You'll be fine, I promise."

Aries blushed but slid her hand into that of her captain. "Thank you", she whispered and followed him onto the branch network.

Ulgar wondered whether he should offer his hand to Luca. But the purple-haired teen was not a girl and neither did he appear scared. On the contrary, his excitement was written all over his face.

"I know you won't admit you're afraid."

Before Ulgar could react, Luca had grabbed his hand. "I'm not afraid!" Yet he closed his fingers around Luca's. Warm and gentle, the other's hand felt like it had always belonged into his. All his life he had been missing something without knowing, had been lost despite knowing his location. Luca was soft and cheerful, the light that brightened his darkness. His hands were like a precious gift to him and Ulgar felt the overwhelming urge to never let go of it.

As they crossed over to the next tree, Luca wondered where his courage had come from. His heart rate was rising and with every step, it was harder to concentrate on his footsteps. Ulgar's handgrip was firm, almost protective and Luca was glad that the other was walking in front of him, rendering him unable to see the redness in his face.

Their walk was awkward and silent. Crossing from tree to tree via the skilfully designed network, the group finally stopped as they reached a large platform built in between two trees growing next to each other. The only branch leading away from it extended over a river and connected to another tree growing on the opposite side.

"We haven't met anyone", Aries said, breaking the silence as Kanata had let go of her hand. "Why would they be avoiding us?" The current of the nearby river was strong enough to nearly drown out her voice.

"Maybe they're shy?", Luca offered. Ulgar was still holding his hand and seemed to have no intention to move, making him feel even more awkward in front of Kanata's and Aries' eyes. He wondered what the other was thinking, but his facial expression was unreadable.

With his free hand, the black-haired teen pointed across the river. "Perhaps they're on the other side." The trees on the opposite riverbank were darker, their leaves almost black. Although there was no immediate sign of danger, their aura was more mysterious, almost as if the trees were hiding a secret. However, the bridge crossing the river made by the two intersecting branches seemed far from stable, swaying in the wind with the wild current of the river below.

"Let's explore the other areas first", Kanata suggested. The branches above the river were only about half a metre wide and the potential benefits of traversing them did not merit the associated risks.

Black leaves, Luca realised. So far, his attempts in creating a black dye for Ulgar's clothes had been unsuccessful. While Nemesis overall was a dark planet, nothing seemed to be of black colour. Except for those leaves. "I'll just have quick look", he said reluctantly letting go of his friend's hand.

"Luca!", Ulgar called out but the other had already started to cross. Again, his curiosity seemed to know no boundaries.

Preoccupied with Luca's actions, Aries sudden scream startled him. With the river drowning out most sounds, the Nemesians had had ample opportunity to ambush them. How careless he had been! Aliens. And there were right in front of them. Like Kanata and Aries, the shock paralysed him.

The Nemesians looked astonishingly human-like with slim statures and pale skin. Their eyes were eerily clear, crystal blue and focused on them. In their hands were spear-like weapons made from animal bones. Simple just like their clothing obviously made of Horfant skin. They did not appear to have come in friendly purposes, even Kanata and Aries could tell.

"It's a trap!", Luca shouted. Another group of Nemesians approached from the other side of the river and started to cross the bridge with unexpected ease.

Ulgar had no choice but to leave Kanata to deal with the Nemesians on the platform and readied his gun to help Luca. However, with the purple-haired teen being in his line of sight, he could not pull the trigger. "Get back here!", he shouted.

"If you wanna protect me, I think now is a good time", Luca shouted back. The bridge suddenly seemed narrower than before and was now moving under the footsteps of the Nemesians as well as due to the wind. Just keeping his balance was a challenge, never mind moving. The Nemesians with their cat-like elegance had a clear advantage and the pointy end of their spears urged him to move backward fast.

Ulgar reached out his hand, ready to grab Luca as, without warning, the wind picked up. The bridge dangerously swayed in the wind causing even the Nemesians to halt. He saw the shock in Luca's eyes as he failed to keep in balance. As Luca fell, Ulgar's face went pale. On Nemesis, even the water was their enemy and they stood no chance against its acidity.

Without a second thought, Ulgar jumped. The Nemesians, the water, nothing mattered but Luca.

* * *

I'm so looking forward to next chapter as it's my favourite part and the only bit that I had actually planned from the start.

By the way, is anyone still reading this? O.o


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks everyone for reviewing, it made me really happy!

I've been asked whether there will be a scene in which Luca is crying and Ulgar comforts him. To be honest, I don't know! I don't really plan ahead much. I'll see whether I can think of something like this but I make no promises.

* * *

Somebody was talking. "Why do you like to drown so much? Seriously, I won't let you go anywhere near a body of water again." Luca's voice, Ulgar determined. Opening his eyes, he found himself in a rather comfortable bed in a room that seemed to be fit for a king. His duvet and the carpets covering the floor and walls were richly embroidered with golden motives and the furniture appeared boasted countless elegant carvings.

As he sat up, memories flashed up in Ulgar's mind. His hand reaching out to Luca's, failing to connect. The acid water burning his skin, rendering him unable to act. "Where… are we?"

There was no window, Ulgar noted. No way to determine their location. The light that illuminated the room came from mysteriously glowing flowers that had been strategically placed at the sides of the room. Not Astra then.

"We're with the Nemesians", Luca replied not particularly worried. "By the way, they also dried your clothes for you." He pointed to a chair next to the bed. He had enjoyed the view of Ulgar's naked upper body and was looking forward to his embarrassment.

"Get out NOW!" Even though his lower body was still covered by the duvet, the black-haired teen could not believe how Luca was boldly invading his privacy. "What are you even doing here?"

"The Nemesians gave us this ointment to heal our skin", Luca explained innocently, pointing to a tub on the bedside table. "I was just re-applying it to you."

"You were touching me?!" His face was dark red. This was wrong on so many levels.

Ulgar's reactions never failed to amuse him. "I wasn't", he explained finally. "You were like this when I woke up, honest. Well… I was worried about you so maybe I touched you just a little bit."

"Which one is it?!"

Luca did not answer his question. "Do you want to put cream on me in return?", he asked instead.

Ulgar hated how appealing he found the thought. "Just get out!"

At least Luca was alive, Ulgar thought after the purple-haired teen had finally left the room. The Nemesians must have taken them prisoners after saving them from the river. An action that did not make much sense, even less so when Ulgar found his gun and the teddy's claw amongst his clothes.

After Ulgar had dressed, he was surprised to find a large lounge outside his room, as luxuriously decorated as the bedroom. Kanata and Aries were sitting on one of the sofas admiring the detailed carvings. Luca was looking into the different cupboards and cabinets, opening their doors one by one. There were two more doors leading away from the room, one being half open and revealing another bedroom. The other was tightly closed. Locked, Ulgar assumed.

"I'm so relieved you're alright", Aries greeted him. "We were so lucky the Nemesians were there to help us."

It was the people of Nemesis that had caused the accident in the first place, Ulgar thought. "What happened to us?"

"I'm not sure myself", Kanata began. "Aries asked the Nemesians to save you guys and they did."

"They said it was all a misunderstanding", the girl added.

The ambush and the spears, a misunderstanding. Fairly hard to believe. How could Aries even tell? "You understand their language?"

"Not at all!" Aries shook her head with an inappropriate cheerfulness. "But that's what they said."

"It looks like they see us as guests rather than prisoners", Kanata pointed out referring to their generous rooms. "For now, let's go along with them and see what happens."

"So where are we now?", Ulgar asked, seeing that the others were adamant that the Nemesians were a friendly species.

"We seem to be underground", Kanata replied. "We climbed down through a hollow tree and went through a maze of corridors until we reached this place."

"Who would have thought there were people living right under our feet…", Luca commented, opening the doors of yet another cabinet. To his disappointment, it was empty as the others. As he heard the look turning, the lively teen quickly stepped away, pretending to look at a picture.

The door fully opened, revealing an unassuming man. A Nemsian, an alien. Not threatened by mortal danger this time, the group could examine his features more closely. Grey-haired and of slim stature, his clothes were more refined than those of the guardsman behind him as well as their previous attackers. His similarity with humans was astonishing, he would not have stood out if he was walking through the streets of Mousanish District. While his words were a melodic assembly of incomprehensible words, his gestures revealed that the Caird high-school students should follow him.

The corridor they entered was like an extension of the room. The floor, the walls, and even the ceiling were covered by carpet, its colours changing from red to blue and richly embroidered. In regular intervals, there were expensive-looking vases with glowing flowers that were the sole source of light. Silently following their captors, the space travellers found themselves in front of a large gate.

Ulgar grabbed Luca's hand, surprised how natural the action felt by now. His other hand rested on the gun hidden in the layers of his clothes. Whatever was waiting for them, he would not fail to protect his friend a third time. Even if he had to shoot the Nemesians, even if he had to disobey his captain. However, the black-haired teen was completely unprepared for what awaited them behind the gate.

"It's a party!", Aries exclaimed as soon as the gate had opened. "I wonder if that's their way of welcoming us?"

Behind the gate was an enormous hall. The ceiling high above them looked like a starry sky and massive stone pillars flanked the hall, the glowing flowers growing along them like vine and providing light. In its centre, tables had been placed with about fifty Nemesians already being seated. As the group entered, their chattering stopped and all eyes were on the students.

As they were led to a table away from the main area, Luca wondered about Ulgar's action. Never before had the other grabbed his hand. Why had he let go already? Sometimes the mind of his friend was like a puzzle with only blank pieces.

"This is just like Astra", Aries remarked looking at the food after they had sat down. There was bread and a large roast placed in the middle of the table. Various bowls contained salads, potato-like vegetables and sauces. A servant filled their cups with an unassuming fluid. In their half-starved state, the meal looked irresistible and the abundance of food was surreal. "We'll need to ask the Nemesians to give us some to take away for the others."

Ulgar tried not to let the feast distract him. It was all too suspicious. There were too many similarities between them and the Nemesians. And how did the initial assault fit with the friendly welcoming party? He watched as the Nemesian leader talked to the audience from his throne on an elevated gallery.

"This is good", Luca nudged him with his cup in his hands. "You should try some, Ulgar."

"Don't drink that! What if it's poisoned?" Admittedly, there was no reason to set up a banquet to poison them but everything was possible on Nemesis. Looking at his own cup, its content turned out to be wine. "And you shouldn't be drinking alcohol anyway!"

"But it's really good", Aries, sitting on Luca's other side, urged him.

"Captain, tell them not to be so careless", Ulgar replied directed to Kanata.

"Who me?", the addressed teen responded with his mouth full. On his plate, a small mountain of meat told Ulgar more than he needed to know. "Seriously, you should try the roast!"

"I don't think we're supposed to eat yet", Aries whispered suddenly realising that all eyes were on them. Nobody had started to eat or drink yet, everyone had patiently listened to the leader's speech. The girl smiled awkwardly at the Nemesians. "I'm sorry", she tried to save the situation although nobody could understand her.

"It's all because someone made a fuss about the wine", Luca whispered as the speech continued.

"I wasn't - !" Ulgar stopped mid-sentence as he felt the Nemesian's attention shifting back to them.

When the speech had finally finished after what seemed like an eternity, the food had already gone cold. Not that it stopped them from indulging. After having lived off food rations, the Nemesian food tasted like heaven. "We'll definitely have to take some back", Aries repeated. "The others will love this."

However, the servants were already busy removing the food and moving the tables around. What had been a banquet became a dancefloor with food playing a secondary role at the sides. Soft music came from one of the niches between the pillars. The Nemesians still occasionally gazed at the students but stayed amongst themselves, either dancing or chatting.

Ulgar decided to seize the opportunity and find out more about their captors. There were two entrances to the hall, each flanked by a group of guards. Of course, they would not be allowed to leave that easily. For a while, Ulgar just watched the scene; he spotted Luca and Aries dancing and Kanata at the food buffet. None of that surprised him.

He turned his attention to the gallery from which the presumed leader still oversaw the celebration. Perhaps in his forties, by human standards, the man gave off the aura of a king rather than an elected president. Ulgar noted the man who had led them to the hall, who was not trying to hide that he watched the group. Their gazes met and the black-haired teen quickly looked away. Being watched meant that there was still a possibility of the party being a trap.

"What are you doing all by yourself?"

Completely focused on the Nemesians and their ploys, he had not noted Luca approaching him. "You shouldn't drink this stuff", he replied nodding towards the cup in the other's hand.

"It's water, Mr Killjoy." Luca failed to understand why Ulgar had chosen this particular evening to start acting like a parent. "We'll leave tomorrow morning so we might as well enjoy ourselves tonight, don't you think?"

"And convince them to let us go how?"

Why was Ulgar such a pessimist? "Aries has gone to befriend the Nemesians. Do you want to dance with me instead?", Luca asked, switching topics seeing that the other would not relax without a distraction.

"No!" Yet despite his reply, Ulgar reluctantly followed his friend to the dancefloor.

"Closer!", Luca complained as Ulgar tried to mimic the dancing poses of the Nemesians. He pointed to his waist. "Put your hand here."

This was not how Luca had danced with Aries, nor did it resemble the form of the Nemesians, Ulgar noted as he obediently followed Luca's instructions. With his right arm wrapped around Luca's waist and his left hand connected with Luca's, there were only a few centimetres between their bodies. As they moved, he could feel his friend's breasts brushing against his chest. The desire to move his right hand grew overwhelmingly strong; he wanted to touch Luca's back, his neck, his everything.

Luca wondered whether he would ever be able to get this close to Ulgar without the pretence of a dance. Being held by the other, he enjoyed their intimacy and the accompanying feeling of safety. Unsurprisingly, Ulgar's dancing skills were as non-existent as his sewing skills, but Luca did not mind. The Nemesians, the banquet even the music faded into the background as his eyes were focused on Ulgar's. Almost like they were an ordinary couple enjoying the party.

Then the music changed. The soft and cheerful tones grey into darker, deeper sounds. It was an illusion, Luca realised, outside the dancefloor, their relationship was that of friends. He lived a dream that would cease to exist as soon as the last tune was played. "If I was a girl, would you see me differently?", he asked regretting his words as soon as they were spoken.

Ulgar struggled to focus on his footsteps rather than Luca's body. But there was another feeling, even stronger than sexual desire. Knowing that Luca was safe and the comfort of their intimacy. Forgotten was the danger, if this had been the set-up of a trap, then he would gladly run into with no remorse. He heard Luca whispering, picked up the pain in his voice. Lost in the dance, gender had no meaning to him. "I'd still be here with you", he replied struggling to form a coherent sentence.

"I see…" Luca did not know what else he had expected. Fancy music and some dancing did not mean that Ulgar miraculously understood how he felt or even reciprocate his feelings. But there would never be a better time than now to break down the invisible barrier between them. "Ulgar, I like you. A lot."

The black-haired teen did not reply. What was he supposed to say? He was not even sure about the meaning of Luca's words. He opened his mouth but the words floating in his mind failed to form a sentence.

In this moment, the music stopped and the magic that had held them together fell apart.


	12. Chapter 12

** To understand this chapter, read till the end. To understand it even better, read the next chapter (once I have written it).**

* * *

As Ulgar opened his eyes, he stared at the unfamiliar ceiling of their Nemesian chamber. Luca naked in his arms. A dream, already fading away. But his words stayed. _I like you. A lot_. Where they words of a drunk tease or of a serious romantic? Ulgar did not know. He assumed the former but somehow hoped for the latter.

"Aries and Luca are gone", Kanata abruptly ended his thoughts, his worry obvious. They had returned late from the party and as there were only two bedrooms with one bed each, Ulgar and the Astra's captain had slept in the lounge, leaving the beds for Aries and Luca. Beds that were now empty with no trace of the two students.

Alarmed, Ulgar immediately jumped up and checked both rooms as well as the adjacent bathroom. Vanished. As had his already faint trust in the Nemesians. "These bastards.", he cursed picking up the gun. The black-haired teen had known all along that they had been watched, that the Nemesian's actions had made little sense and yet ignored it all because Luca was an intoxicating reverie capable of incapacitating the rational part of his brain.

"We don't know what happened", Kanata tried to calm him down. "It's true that those two wouldn't leave without telling us but we should talk to the Nemesians first."

"Got it." It was only because Kanata was his captain that Ulgar tried to contain his anger. Unlocking the door with a shot of his gun, he hurried into the corridor. "I'll give them one chance."

With no guards to question outside and the corridors deserted, all the two could do was retracing their steps back to the great hall. The gate ajar, Kanata and Ulgar were surprised to find the place crowded. It seemed like the whole Nemesian population was present, perhaps a thousand people, focused on the happenings on a stage at the far end of the hall. It was brighter than the day before, almost as if they were outside, with most light coming from the ceiling.

Luca. Ulgar spotted his friend immediately, despite all the people, despite Luca's strange attire. Even Aries standing next to him on the stage paled in comparison to Luca. A wedding dress. So pure and white, like a mythical creature from a different planet entirely. A princess amongst savages awaiting rescue. Beautiful and graceful, yet wearing clothes that were not meant for him. Despite his captivating presence, Ulgar knew Luca would not be comfortable, adding to his urge to rescue him.

Kanata was talking to him, but Ulgar could not hear his voice. Like a radiating star, he was drawn to Luca. Although failing to understand the situation, he knew the purple-haired teen was in danger. The gun in his hands, he was ready to take down the perverted criminals who thought they could marry off his friend like cattle. The life of savages hardly mattered in comparison to Luca.

It was Kanata, stronger than him, who forcefully took the gun from Ulgar's hands. "Killing them isn't going to help, we don't even know what's going on. Let's go to the stage and talk to the Nemesians."

Normally, Ulgar would follow his captain without questioning. However, this was Luca's life that was at stake and he had failed to protect him too many times. With the gun or without, the black-haired teen would save his friend. Leaving Kanata behind at the entrance, he started to fight his way through the crowd, elbowing and pushing aside all obstacles.

"Luca!", Ulgar shouted, desperate to reach his friend. The crowd did not part for him, being too absorbed into the ceremony taking place on the stage. He pushed further and further; even as the guards realised his intention and closed in. Suddenly the hall was extending endlessly, the stage moving away from him the closer he got. His only option was to fight harder, battling against the masses inch by inch.

"Luca!", Ulgar shouted again and this time, their eyes met. Ulgar reached out his hand even though he was still half a world away. Luca's lack of reaction took him by surprise, it was as if the other had voluntarily agreed to be part of the Nemesian's scheme. In whatever manner they had threatened his friend, Ulgar would make them pay. There was no forgiveness for traitors that had made Luca a pawn in their game.

xxx

It was a strange dream. His dress was beautiful, pure white like made of clouds. Reborn as a girl, nothing prevented him from marrying Ulgar. The pressure lifted from his shoulders, there was no reason anymore for secret jealousy and fear about not having the right gender. Ulgar and he could be together.

Even as he was entrapped in his dream, he found it odd that Aries was standing next to him wearing an equally beautiful dress. And the man in front of him, now addressing the crowd, spoke in a language that was too complex to be a fabrication of his mind.

Instead of being by his side, Ulgar was part of the crowd. Briefly, Luca remembered a scene from his past life where the other had wanted to see him in a dress. As a girl, surely he would do Ulgar's expectations justice. However, in his friend's eyes, he found nothing but despair. Something was wrong.

Ulgar was calling out his name but the crowd threatened to consume him. Luca wanted to reply, to reach out, but his body failed to obey. In his weakness, he could do nothing but watch Ulgar struggle until a group clad in white led him and Aries away from the crowd. The dream of a perfect wedding had turned into a nightmare from which there was no waking.

xxx

As Ulgar finally managed to reach the stage, Luca was gone. Too late. Whatever ceremony the Nemesians had been holding, it was over. Perhaps Luca was now married to one of them, the wedding night awaiting him.

"This way!" Kanata pointed towards another exit, hidden behind the stage. There was no door, just a dark hole, perhaps to ensure adequate ventilation of the enormous hall.

"What happened?", Ulgar asked, desperate for information as they hurried into what turned out to be another unassuming corridor, the guards still somewhere behind them.

"I don't know", Kanata replied, running through the corridor, he had no time to figure out what was going on. Every second they wasted meant greater danger for Aries and Luca.

Footsteps behind them. Still no sign of Luca and Aries. Ulgar cursed. Kanata was a fast runner and if it was not for Luca's uncertain future urging him forward, he would have fallen behind long ago. "How can they catch up to us so quickly?"

"Beats me", Kanata gasped. He stopped; the corridor was splitting in front of them. There were doors to the right and left, making it impossible to guess Aries' and Luca's whereabouts. "We need more information."

"Then give me the gun."

Kanata complied, trusting that Ulgar had calmed down enough to not cause a massacre.

"Where are Luca and Aries?", the black-haired teen asked, his gun ready to shoot, as soon as the guards were in hearing distance. Five of them, he noted unsurprised.

Failing to recognise as the gun as a weapon, the Nemesians were cautious but not scared. Clad in horfant skin, shooting them would be useless unless he targeted their faces. Yet killing them meant betraying Kanata's trust. Suppressing the impulse, Ulgar pointed his gun towards a nearby vase with glowing flowers and shot. Immediately, it burst, the water it contained spilling over the carpet.

"Where are Lucas and Aries?", Ulgar repeated, his voice cold and sharp.

The Nemesians were evidently intimidated by the gunshot, looking back and forward between the gun and the broken vase. Completely frozen, no one dared to point their weapon at them. But no one spoke either. "Let me torture them, captain. Just one will do."

"These are just guards. They probably have nothing to do with this", Kanata replied. He then continued to speak, a dopey smile on his face and gesturing around randomly. "We. Friends. Where?"

Ulgar sighed. This was not how Intimidation worked. He readied the gun, pointing onto one of the Nemesians. "You heard him." In contrast to Kanata, there was no friendliness in his voice.

Finally, one of the guards pointed towards one of the doors not too far ahead and gestured upwards.

Behind the door, the two space travellers found a ladder that indeed led to the outside world. Climbing through a hole in a hollow tree, they were suddenly back on the network of branches and bridges in the canopy. The air cold and refreshing, the sounds of the woodland peaceful and unchanged, Aries' and Luca's abduction felt surreal. Apart from the hole in the tree behind them leading back down, nothing hinted at the vast tunnel network that laid underneath the trees.

As the two emerged from the sheltered underground, dark black clouds covered the sky and it rained hard. With their view limited, there was no sign of their friends.

"Captain, what should we do now?", Ulgar asked, knowing how hopeless it was to search the vast woodland. Nemesis was a planet unfamiliar to them, who knew how many other secret worlds like the tunnel system and the canopy network it hid.

"Let's head back to the Astra."

"And abandon Luca and Aries?!"

Kanata reached into his pocket. Under the cover of his raincape, he showed Ulgar the device in his hands. Aries' recorder. "Our best bet is to have Zack analyse this and translate", he explained his decision.

Ulgar hated to give up the search but knew that his captain was right. Even though they did not know their current location, the two were far more likely to find a giant stationary spaceship than their friends. All the black-haired teen could do was hope that the rain would delay the Nemesian's plan. Carefully balancing over the wet trees, he followed Kanata, heading into the direction they suspected the Astra to be in.

"Say Ulgar, did you drink any of the wine?", Kanata asked suddenly, his voice hard to hear over the rain.

"I didn't", the black-haired teen replied. It was an odd question. However, thinking back, it made sense. Luca had acted weirdly during the evening, perhaps not solely due to the influence of alcohol. Even on stage, his reaction had been strangely apathetic. "You don't mean – "

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions", Kanata said. "But I can't imagine Aries and Luca leaving us without saying and participating in Nemesian ceremonies like that."

Ulgar did not reply, just silently marched on. Luca and Aries both were innocent and naïve, abducing them would be child's play for anyone. There had been no need to fool them with an elaborate banquet. Plus, there was no guarantee that they would have drunk the wine. No, the inconsistencies had started far before that. Attacking with killing intend, then saving them. All the similarities between them and the aliens. Was it really possible for two species evolving on different planets to be that similar?

Trying to understand the Nemesians and their behaviour was like solving a puzzle while blindfolded with half the pieces missing. They did need more information.

* * *

Do you know how hard it is to write a chapter like this WITHOUT any reference to religion? There are so many words I wanted to use but couldn't because the characters wouldn't know them like angel, ritual, priest, prayer, etc. I could have done this a hundred times better if I wasn't so constricted in my choice of words.


	13. Chapter 13

The sun had set by the time Kanata and Ulgar found the Astra. The light emitted by the spaceship, or rather the adjacent electric fence, illuminated the sky and had guided the two escapees to their shelter. Flashing in different colours, it almost looked like a Christmas decoration.

"Funi was worried that we would accidentally electrocute someone and Charce explained that poisonous animals often use bright colouration to discourage predators from attacking. So, I changed the – ", Zack began to explain as Kanata and Ulgar entered the spaceship.

"We don't have time for this!", Ulgar interrupted him having no care for a random stranger's wellbeing. "Luca and Aries are in danger!"

"What happened?", Zack asked alarmed.

Inside the Astra with everyone gathered around the table, Kanata summarised their encounter with the Nemesians, including Aries' and Luca's suspicious abduction. "We need to find out what their plans are. Aries has recorded everything."

Zack nodded and took the recording device form Kanata. "Let's see." He pressed the play button and skipped forward to a random point in the recording.

Instead of the Nemesians, it was Aries' voice that greeted them_. "I like Kanata."_ Followed by Luca's voice. _"I like Kanata too but –"_

Quitterie immediately paused the replay before the group could hear the rest. "Stop invading other people's privacy! Seriously, just develop an algorithm or something that extracts the language."

"I'm sorry", the bespectacled student replied. "I just wanted to ascertain the quality. I didn't anticipate that Aries recorded EVERYTHING."

"Like… What does that mean?", the Astra's captain stammered in between, his facial expression indicating that he was fully aware of the meaning.

"We really don't have time for this!", Ulgar urged his teammates but Zack had already left to extract the audio file. And looking into the other's face, it was clear that everyone was fully aware of the situation. Nobody took the abduction of their friends lightly.

"Hey, do you guys think the Nemesians are really aliens?", Charce asked. "From what Kanata described, they sounded very much like humans to me."

"The footprints we saw didn't look human though", Yun-Hua gave to consideration.

Ulgar had no care for the nature of the Nemesians. Whatever their origin, all he needed to know was that they were enemies. Feeling restless, his thoughts circled back to Luca. And the magic words the purple-haired teen had said. Based on the recording, Ulgar wondered whether Luca simply liked everyone. Drunk and potentially drugged, it was not like he could attach much meaning to the words anyway. It was depressing how little he truly knew about Luca. Seemingly outgoing and open, his personality was like a fake layer hiding his true feelings.

There was only one way Ulgar could find out more. Requesting a copy of the audio file from Zack, he felt like a thief. Stealing not valuable items but privacy. It was not right, but Ulgar had to know.

In his room, Luca's stuff surrounding him, he replayed the recording, trying to find Luca's and Aries' conversation. It must have taken place before he had woken up on the day of their capture.

_"Team B-5 camp log, day five on planet Nemesis." _That was Aries' voice._ "Today we made the first contact with the people inhabiting this planet. We had a bit of a rough start but I think – "_

_"Aries?" _That was Luca._ "What are you doing?"_

_"Ah, err… I was just keeping records of how we encountered the Nemesians." _

_"Hm?", _Luca made._ "Hey, I wonder if I can ask them for some of the black leaves. They have the perfect colour for Ulgar's clothes."_

_"I'm sure they can give you some", _Aries replied._ "It will be such a lovely present. Is that why you wanted to cross the river earlier?"_

_"Well, it didn't go very well… ."_

Ulgar paused. Had Luca really risked his life for fabric dye? For clothes that were already perfect in every aspect? Comfortable, durable and every inch a reminder of Luca's skilled fingers. But the purple-haired teen could not know how much Ulgar liked the clothes—because he had never told him. Never even thanked him for his effort.

_"I'm sure Ulgar will understand if you tell him."_

No, he would not, Ulgar thought. Because apparently he had the intellect of a potato. Suppressing the urge to slap himself, he continued to listen to the conversation.

_"Well, this is Ulgar we are talking about." _ How well Luca knew him. Or perhaps his lack of empathy was just that obvious.

_"It's not like I don't know how you feel… I'm the same, I like Kanata."_

_"I like Kanata too…", _Luca agreed. When he continued, his voice had a more cheerful tone._ "But I love Ulgar." _

And he had thought that Luca had just been drunk, that he would go around telling everyone he liked them. Out of all the possible reactions, he had chosen the worst by dismissing Luca's confession and not taking his friend's feelings seriously.

It was only now that the black-haired teen understood. Luca's strange questions had not been meant as teases. Far from that, Luca had courageously opened up to him, revealing his insecurities about his genders and the struggle with his feelings. And what had Ulgar done? Like a horfant trampled the grass, he trampled on the other's feelings. He had arrogantly, ignorantly failed Luca. Sitting on the edge of his bed and his head in his hands, Ulgar felt like he wanted to shoot himself. How could he have let Luca suffer? At this rate, Luca was better off being with the Nemesians than with him.

However, without the purple-haired teen, Ulgar's room felt empty. And so did he. Blinded by Luca's sexual charm, he had never even considered his own feelings. What did it feel like to love someone? At what point did friendship become love? The black-haired teen did not know the answer. All he hoped for was that Luca would somehow forgive him, that they could somehow start again.

xxx

When Luca woke up, the air felt wet and heavy. Still sleepy, he found himself on the floor in a small hut. Aries was next to him, confusion in her eyes.

"Tell me we didn't get married", Luca said, unable to tell apart memories from dream.

Aries looked at him, now even more confused. "Married? What are you talking about?" She looked at the dress she was wearing. White. That must have been why Luca had thought of marriage. "I dreamt I was on a stage for a singing contest. But how did we end up here?"

Besides them, the hut was empty. There was no door, just an open entrance through which the two could see branches and leaves. Somehow, they must have left the underground base and climbed onto a tree. Hard to imagine given their impractical attire.

"You don't remember?", Luca asked, surprised that Aries' impeccable memory failed.

"No…. " Aries sounded helpless. "By the way, what's this?" The girl lifted her arm, revealing a golden chain that was tied around her wrist with the other end being locked onto a hook on the floor. It seemed delicate yet did not break under pressure.

Luca looked at his wrist, not surprised to find an identical chain. "I don't know." Somehow, he doubted that half a cup of wine had made him drunk enough to forget everything. Not everything. Somewhere in his mind was the memory of him and Ulgar dancing. His confession. Ulgar's lack of reaction. Not that the purple-haired teen had expected anything.

The sound of footsteps interrupted Luca's thoughts. Shortly after, a Nemesian guard appeared, his gestures asking them to stand up.

"Where are we?", Aries asked bluntly. "Where are Kanata and Ulgar?"

The man did not answer but instead picked up the chains. Without being violent, he made clear that they had to follow him. Outside, the other guardsmen were waiting.

"Where are we going?", Luca asked knowing that the Nemesians did not understand their language. Bound to the chain, he had no choice but to follow their lead through the vast network of branches. Despite the dress impairing his movement, the purple-haired teen found balancing over the branches much easier now, thanks to the shoes the Nemesians had given him. Oddly shaped, he could understand that it had confused Quitterie and Yun-Hua when they had seen the imprints.

Yet with every step Luca took, it became clearer that Ulgar had been right. On Nemesis, no one was on their side. Not the animals and not their human-like counterparts. Why had he not listened to the other's warnings?

Suddenly, the ground was shaking. Breaking branches, quickly quieting animal noises—by now Aries and Luca were all too familiar with the harbingers of terror. A teddy.

"It won't be able to reach us", Luca whispered to Aries behind him. Their last encounter still fresh in his mind, he could not hide the fear in his voice.

However, the Nemesians remained calm without any sign of worry. One by one they fell onto their knees, their hands folded in front of them. Completely silent, deeply concentrated, the whole group remained motionless.

"What are they doing?", Aries whispered as if scared that the teddy would hear them.

Luca did not answer. There was only one thing he knew. Whenever they had encountered a teddy, it had always been accompanied by a heavy atmosphere, tension in the air and utter silence around it. Silence caused by the Nemesians pausing their activities and kneeling down. They had been watched from the very beginning. From his first kiss underneath the leaves to their narrow escape when the two teddies had fought.

After what felt like an eternity, the group continued their march after the teddy had long passed them. Finally having reached the end of the woodland, they descended onto the ground. In front of them was a single hill, covered with low-growing vegetation and a strange rock on top. It was almost shaped like a human but from the distance, it was impossible to tell whether it was its natural form or a man-made statue.

"I wonder if we have offended them", Aries wondered trying to understand the Nemesian's motive. "It must be a misunderstanding."

Luca admired the girl's unshaken trust in the goodness of their capturers even as the guards hooked their chains into an anchor on the ground and proceeded to retreat into the trees. "You think so?", the purple-haired teen asked doubtfully.

The girl nodded. "I still believe we can become friends."

Being confined at the bottom of the hill, the two space travellers felt vulnerable despite Aries' optimism. A sudden fog limited their sight but would not enough to protect them from predators.

"What's the point of letting us die like this?", Luca shouted after the Nemesians. "You saved me before, didn't you?" But there was no answer. Perhaps they had already returned to their underground base, not caring about the fate of their prisoner-turned guests.

"Honestly, what's the point of dressing us up like this just to leave us to die?", Luca asked looking at his useless clothing. The dress was beautiful, suited for a wedding, not a funeral. He wished Ulgar could see him like this but when his gaze fell onto Aries, he reconsidered. The girl looked much better than him, her curves filling out the dress in a way that even Luca found it hard not to stare.

"Luca!" The fear in Aries' voice brought him back to reality. Underneath their feet, the ground was shaking.

The teddy was back.

"Guess it can't be helped", Luca answered with a confidence he did not have. He ripped off the bottom of his dress to increase his mobility. "I bet Ulgar is jealous that we get the chance to fight the teddy first."

* * *

With Ulgar FINALLY having made some progress, I look forward to their reunion next chapter!


	14. Chapter 14

At the moment I'm a bit busy so I uploaded this chapter as I had it as I didn't want to let people wait. Before writing the next chapter, I might upload an edited version of this chapter.

Please forgive Ulgar, he's just clumsy with words. And you know Luca, he says things that no one else would...

* * *

"Using Aries' recording and the dictionary from the Astra's database, I developed this translator", Zack explained, a small device of the size of a mobile phone in his hands. "It automatically detects speech and provides a written output on the display – "

"Never mind the details, what did you find out?", Ulgar impatiently interrupted the genius.

"The way the Nemesians talk about us is very interesting", Zack replied. "They refer to us as 'those who descendent from the stars' and generally talk about us with deep respect."

"You mean just enough respect to kidnap Aries and Luca", Ulgar corrected.

"Well, it's true that they did treat us well", Kanata gave to consideration.

"This is what I don't understand", Zack remarked. "Their words do not reflect their actions. Based on the recording, it appears they plan to sacrifice Aries and Luca to their ruler. They say that this is the only way to end the cycle of sacrifices."

"A savage king for the savage planet, makes sense", Quitterie commented. "Seriously, whose idea was it to come here?"

"What do we know about their ruler?", Charce asked, more rationally.

The bespectacled student shook his head. "Not much. Apparently, his name is God."

"How much time do we have left?", Kanata enquired. "Is there a way to this God person?"

Zack put up a map on the main screen. "Based on the geographical features described in the audio file, they should be somewhere around here." His finger pointed on a woody area not too from the Astra. "If we fly there, we should make it in time. The only problem is that it will be hard to land as the terrain over there is very rough."

xxx

Suppressing the tiredness following a sleepless night, Ulgar could only hope that they were not too late as he climbed down the rope connecting the Astra to the ground. A barren hill with a lone rock at its top, surrounded by an endless sea of trees. The place where Luca was held captive.

"I wonder what the ruler of this planet is like", Charce, already on the ground, wondered.

"I'd rather not know", Quitterie responded sharply. The hill was cold and uninviting. Below them, there was a small barren area and beyond that the woodland that seemed to cover much of the planet. Fog limited the girl's sight and the moist air gave her chills. "Let's find Aries and Luca quickly and leave this place."

"We'll find out what kind of guy he is", Kanata said and signalled to Zack and the Astra that they had reached the ground. "For now, let's split and search the surroundings. Aries and Luca shouldn't be far."

The others nodded. Too much time had passed already, although the Astra was faster than anything the Nemesians could possibly possess, they had started a day later than the aliens.

"Luca!", Ulgar shouted. Entering the fog, his sight was limited and a sudden feeling of solitude overcame him, even though Kanata, Charce and Quitterie were nearby. Unlike rain, the water did not hurt him, but felt uncomfortable and itchy. One more reason to find his missing teammates quickly.

The cold sound of clashing metal. A shadow waving at him. It felt as if the fog was deceiving him, manifesting his thoughts rather than reality. Yet the purple-haired teen was there, right in front of him.

"Luca!" Unable to express the overwhelming relief he felt, the black-haired teen was at a loss for words, as so often recently. "Are you ok? … Wait what's this?", he asked noting the chain preventing Luca from moving much further. Without waiting for an answer, Ulgar grabbed the teddy's claw and separated the metal.

"Aries too", Luca whispered and pointed towards the girl.

"Aries! Luca!", Kanata shouted as he spotted the two missing students, attracted by Ulgar's voice. However, as he attempted to approach them, he felt Quitterie's hand on his shoulders.

"We better leave those two alone for a minute", she whispered nodding towards Ulgar and Luca. A smirk on her face, she added, "in the meantime, why don't you make sure Aries is ok?"

"I know you would come."

There was so much Ulgar wanted to say but the other's smile, as so often, stopped him from thinking. There was also the fact that Luca was still dressed for a wedding with his legs bare exposed where he had cut off the dress. "I'm sorry you had to suffer so much", he finally managed to say.

But Luca only shook his head. "I didn't suffer at all. Well, for a second I thought we were done for when the teddy attacked us. But don't worry, it has left and we're safe now."

"That's not what I meant", Ulgar replied. "You know your conversation with Aries—I listened to it." He paused, unused to voicing his feelings and guilty about his invasion of Luca's privacy. "I made you suffer and I didn't consider how you were feeling… ."

"Is this… are you turning me down?" Luca had no idea which conversation the black-haired teen was even referred to. Confused, his only indicator was the other's unusual tone and his awkward search for words.

"I'm not!" Why did his words have the opposite effect of what he had intended? Back in his room, everything had been so clear, but in front of Luca, nothing was. "What I mean is … " Looking into Luca's questioning eyes, Ulgar took his hand and put it on his lower abdomen, letting the other feel his arousal. "This is how you make me feel, whether you want to be a guy or a girl."

Almost instantly, Luca shrieked, withdrawing his hands. "Pervert!" He could not believe Ulgar's boldness, both inappropriate and out of character.

"That's not it!" Not anymore. There was so much more to it. He wanted to protect Luca, to understand him, to be with him.

"Hm?", Luca made. Ulgar's clumsy behaviour and his obvious embarrassment were a temptation he could not resist "Hard to believe coming from someone with a cock as hard as a rock."

"Don't say it like that!" Seriously, what if someone had heard them? Luckily, looking around, Charce was busy investigating footprints, Kanata was giving his raincape to Aries and Quitterie was too far away to hear.

"You're the one who started this", Luca replied, the relief still audible in his voice. While Ulgar's choice of words and his method had been poor, the message was clear. Gender was an arbitrary categorisation that had no relevance for them.

"Here, take this", the black-haired teen switched to a safer topic. Mirroring their captain, he handed his raincape to Luca. His light dress was inadequate for the current temperature and Ulgar was embarrassed that Kanata of all people had realised this before him.

"Thanks", Luca responded and wrapped the cape around himself. "You know, I didn't suffer", he said then. "I enjoyed this journey with everyone… with you."

Ulgar was about to reply when his newfound sense for impending danger alerted him. Something was not right. He opened his mouth to warn the others but it was too late. A giant shadow jumped at him out of nowhere. Its deadly claws directed at him, Ulgar could do little else than jumping back, barely evading the attack. The animal must have used the fog and their distraction to sneak up on them and waited for its chance. How could he forget that they were on Nemesis, a planet where predators never seemed far?

"Get back everyone!", Kanata shouted, ready to come to Ulgar's help, even if unarmed.

Standing between Luca and the monster, the black-haired teen readied the gun. However, before he could should the beast lashed out at him, aiming directly for the metal weapon. It was fast and agile like a cat yet standing on two legs. Before Ulgar even realised what had happened, the gun had flung out of his hand, landing in the grass behind him.

Now eye to eye with the animal, the feeling of familiarity overcame him. Last time, it had been dark and he had fought against monstrous shadows, now the threat felt more real but was just as dangerous. "It's the nightmares!", the black-haired teen shouted, now understanding why he had been the object of the monster's attention. It had remembered the gun, remembered that it was their only meaningful weapon.

"Kanata, they hunt in groups, there should be at least two more", Charce shouted, having reached the same conclusion as Ulgar.

As if on his commando, the other two nightmares attacked, targeting Kanata. Unarmed, the odds stood against the Astra's captain, but giving up was not an option with Aries, unable to defend herself, behind him.

"This time I'm not gonna be useless again!" Quitterie knew that she could not fight the beasts, but at least she would not stand around waiting for her demise like last time. "Aries!", the girl shouted, "we need to find something that can be used as a weapon!"

From the corner of his eye, Ulgar saw his teammates fighting against the other two beasts. Yet he had little time to help, fighting for survival himself.

Without the gun, the nightmare thought him defenceless and jumped forward again, attempting to land the killing blow. Ulgar blocked the attack, claw hitting claw. The beast, surprised, paused his attack. Yet the black-haired teen was unable to turn the tables. The force of the impact sent him flying backwards, landing in the grass.

Before he could get up, the animal was already on top of him, pressing down his body with its own weight, its opened mouth just above him, crying triumphantly. The black-haired teen could see its teeth, sharp and deadly and flinched under stench emitted from its mouth. Pinned down by the nightmare, there was nothing he could do to avoid the deadly bite.

Yet the deathblow did not come. Instead, the animal was hit by a sudden flash right into its mouth. The nightmare stumbled, fell. Dead. Unable to process what had happened, Ulgar freed himself from the carcass.

There was Luca, shaking, and the gun in his hands. "Ulgar, I … I killed it."

The two remaining nightmares cried out, enraged and furious.

"This is bad", Kanata remarked.

Ulgar jumped up, ignoring the pain, and took the gun of Luca. "Are you ok?", he asked. An unnecessary question, Luca's was still shaking and looked like he had seen a ghost. Still, it was a miracle that he had managed to hit. Taking into account the nightmares' agility into account, it was unlikely that they would hit a second time.

"I'll take over from here!" Jumping down from the trees on the woodland edge and holding a large sword, a mysterious stranger suddenly stood in front of them. And he spoke perfect English.


	15. Chapter 15

Finally got this chapter done! It was my birthday last week so I went to see my family. I also moved places so everything is in a state of chaos right now... Chapter 14 is also still in its raw state, perhaps I will just leave it and do a full edit of the story once I'm finished writing.

* * *

"I can't believe that everyone listened to our conversation", Aries commented after Quitterie had summarised the recent happenings on board of the Astra. "How embarrassing!"

"But in the end, it worked out, didn't it?", the blonde replied as she was giving her friend a check-up in the infirmary.

Aries blushed as she thought back to earlier in the day when Kanata and the others had rescued them. "He said he also likes me … maybe."

"How about you and Ulgar?", Quitterie asked directed to Luca who was sitting on a chair nearby.

"As if I'd know what's going on in the head of that pervert… ." Although his reply was only partly true. Now knowing what conversation Ulgar had listened to, the strange behaviour of his friend made slightly more sense.

"Guys … ", the blonde replied shaking her head.

"Are you coming?", Yun-Hua asked as she entered the room. "The meeting with the … ", she paused looking for words, "the guy who saved us is about to start."

In the lounge, the mysterious stranger examined the Astra's interior, a blank expression on his face. He did not look much different from the students, short brown hair, medium stature, and plain but ordinary clothes. The sword, his most distinguishable feature, was tied onto his back, reminding them to treat the stranger with caution. "My name is Elsyon", he introduced himself as everyone had gathered.

"Thanks for luring the teddy away from Luca and me", Aries said before anyone else had the chance to speak. "And you also saved us from the nightmares."

"Teddy? Nightmares?", the stranger wondered. "What interesting names you have given to them. But I'm sure you have invited me because you have questions for me."

"Do you have showers with hot water?", Quitterie asked. "I'm sick taking cold showers because _someone_ thought we needed an electric fence."

"I'd like to know more about the underground base", Zack added, oblivious of Quitterie's words. "How do you manage to keep the rooms ventilated?"

Charce continued. "I'm interested in the predator-prey relationships of the local fauna. Could you tell me more about Nemesis evolutionary history?"

"What kinds of food do you eat?", Kanata enquired. "Do you have meat?"

"Are you an alien?", Funicia wanted to know. "Quitterie said you live in the stone age. Is that true?"

Aries smiled. "I just want to know whether you'd like to be my friend."

Somehow, Ulgar was not surprised by the questions of his teammates. By now, he was familiar with their lack of caution. "There is only one question we need to ask", the black-haired teen said. "What's your agenda? Was your plan to infiltrate our ship to spy on us?"

"Please ignore him", Luca added quickly. "He had a traumatic childhood."

"That's got nothing to do with this!", Ulgar replied just as quickly.

Elsyon looked confused. "Well, I guess there is a lot to tell you", he said then. "For starters, I'm just as human as you are. And so is everyone else on Nemesis. We left the Earth, or planet Astra as you call it, about a hundred years ago."

"It's true that you don't seem to be much different from us", Zack remarked, his tone neutral.

"But why would you leave Astra to live on such a hostile planet?", Kanata asked.

'To ensure peace, religion was forbidden", Elsyon began. "However, my ancestors were not prepared to give up their religion. They were peaceful people and did not agree that religion was necessarily a source of war. Many other people joined them, even those believing in different gods, and they escaped together. In Nemesis, they found the perfect hideout with vast underground caverns and monsters that deterred anyone from following them."

"So, who's this God? Is he the same guy who rules this planet?", Ulgar asked. "If so, he owes us an apology."

"These are two different things", Elsyon explained calmly, ignoring the other's aggressive tone. "God is the creator of life, although different cultures have different concepts of God. On the other hand, this planet is pretty much ruled by the Disturians whom I believe you have met already. They are certainly no gods."

"One of those weirdos?", Luca asked thinking back to their capturers. He could hardly believe the ruler had been hiding amongst them.

"I believe you call them 'teddy'", Elsyon replied. "When my ancestors first arrived on Nemesis, they also mistook them for mere animals. However, in fact, they are much closer to humans and we believe they are at least as intelligent as we. They have their own culture, language, and rules."

"Does it mean they are people?", Funicia asked.

"I guess so. And the same is true for the other predators you encountered."

"This can't be right", Quitterie objected. "We saw them fighting with each other and even eating their own kind. Humans would not do that."

"No, it does make sense", Charce disagreed. "I was wondering why the nightmares attacked the Astra. Normal animals wouldn't waste their energy attacking a piece of metal. However, now we can assume that they attacked us to damage the Astra and trap us on this planet. Perhaps they did not want us to report back to Astra that we found aliens."

"Humans kill each other all the time", Elysion replied with a sad tone. "The Disturians have a strong hierarchical system and their punishments can be severe. We also have to keep in mind that food is scarce, so perhaps the ones you saw were simply starving."

"In the end, Luca and I were being sacrificed to the Distopians who rule this planet?", Aries summarised, bringing the discussion back to the original topic.

"Disturians", Elsyon corrected. "But that's pretty much it. Nemesis is not a friendly planet and when my ancestors arrived, they had no choice but to hunt for food. As a consequence, most animals went extinct. Now we are paying the price by offering sacrifices to the Disturians."

"But you saved us", Charce stated.

"I think the system is wrong. We shouldn't sacrifice people and pretend it's for a good cause. I'm sure we can find a better solution that makes everyone happy. However, nobody agreed with me."

"What about the people we met earlier? The ones that wanted to kill Luca and Aries?", Ulgar asked. "We have nothing to do with your problems so why did they drag us into this?"

"As I said, there are people of different origins and with different beliefs living on Nemesis", Elsyon explained. "The people you were with are called 'naturalists'. They deny that we came from Earth, or Astra that is, and believe Nemesis is the origin of humanity. They live in primitive caves outside the city and see the Disturians as their god. I think they probably thought sacrificing you would change this system."

"I knew they weren't evil", Aries exclaimed with relief. "We –"

"Wait, there is a city?!", Quitterie interrupted.

Elsyon nodded. "You should go and see it. It may help you to understand this world. Though I can't come with you because I'm a criminal."

xxx

"It's a real city!", the blonde girl exclaimed excitedly as team B-5 found themselves in a busy market place. Around them, merchants were praising their goods and people were shopping around for the best deals. In the middle of the square, there was a fountain and children playing in the water. "I changed my mind, Nemesis is the best planet!"

Elsyon had led them through an unassuming staircase hidden underneath a giant tree. After descending for what felt like an eternity the students had reached the market square, seemingly in the centre of the city. Next to them was a pillar that connected to the ceiling high above them and contained the staircase. There were numerous other pillars dotted around the city, acting as support for gigantic cave they were in and as housing for the Nemesians. The similarity to the skyscrapers on Astra was astonishing, although the materials differed.

As the city was deep underground, there was no sunlight; instead, darkness loomed above them. It stood in stark contrast to the brightness on the ground, created by the trees surrounding the market square. And not only here, all over the city, plants seemed to be the sole source of light. Their intensity rivaled the sun, being almost as bright as daylight.

"Look, there are so many shops!" Funicia pointed down one of the roads leading away from the square. "It's just like Mousanish."

"Ehm… Aries, would you like to have a look at the food stalls with me?", Kanata asked. "I mean just so that we know what food we should take with us."

"I wonder where Zack has wandered off to", Quitterie said as the pair left the group. "We came all the way here, he could at least take his fiancée on a date… ."

"How about we look at the shops that Funi pointed out?", Yun-Hua suggested.

"We might as well", the blonde replied, assuming that Ulgar and Luca would want to go off on their own as well. Charce had already left the group to investigate the mysterious flowers and their ability to produce light.

"We need to gather more information. I wonder what kinds of weapons they have and what their weaknesses are", Ulgar wondered as he and Luca were alone. Dressed in casual clothes, the members of team B-5 perfectly blended in with the crowd. Nobody would suspect that they were visitors from another planet, making it easy to sneak around. Once they had a general idea, it would be easy enough to verify Elysion's claims.

"What are you saying?", Luca replied. He smiled. "It's a date. It's about having fun together."

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Hope everything makes sense! I tried to make it look like everything perfectly fits together and was planned from the start when in fact for most of the time I was just writing whatever came to my mind. Please let me know if you find any plot holes so I can sneakily edit this chapter to make it fit. Any questions please also let me know so I can clarify things for future readers. Anyway, reviews are always appreciated!

Also, if you want, you can submit your fun date activities for Ulgar and Luca, although I don't give any guarantees.


	16. Chapter 16

Sorry for the long delay. At the moment, I'm really struggling to find time to sit down and write. Since we're nearing the end, I'll try and finish this story before Christmas but I make no promises.

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"So, what's wrong?", Ulgar asked. Now alone, he and Luca had sat down on a nearby bench watching the people passing by.

The purple-haired teen looked at the other with surprise. "Nothing is wrong."

Ulgar just glanced back at his friend, knowing he was not speaking the truth. The absence of teasing was scary, especially since their last conversation had been rather awkward and offered plenty of potential for Luca to make fun of him.

"You know, I've been thinking", the other began hesitantly. "What kind of sexy underwear do you want me to wear? You know, I'm a virgin, I don't know these things… ."

His face red, Ulgar was at a loss of words. "Ehm, well … this … was bothering you?"

Luca stuck out his tongue. "Sorry, you're just that hilarious." He then changed to a more serious tone. "I was actually thinking about the nightmare I… killed. You know how Elysion told us that they are intelligent creatures… Its family must be sad. And what about its child?"

"Well, I'm glad it's dead", Ulgar responded. "Because otherwise I'd be." They were monsters and better off dead. In fact, he would have liked to kill them all so they would never harm Luca. But he also knew the purple-haired teen would not agree to this. "I'm sorry I made you do this. I'm not very good at protecting you, am I?"

"Do you still want to kill the teddy?"

"Yeah, I still have a score to settle." But then Ulgar thought about how much pain fighting seemed to cause to Luca. It was amazing how the other could emphasise with beasts who had tried to kill them on multiple occasions. "Actually, never mind. I won't."

Luca gave him a questioning look but decided not to pursue the matter further. "I don't regret my choice. I'm glad you survived so I could touch your cock."

Of course, Luca had to revive the most embarrassing moment in his life. "Sorry. All I wanted was telling you that you are fine the way you are." Why could he not have said this the first time?

"Don't worry", Luca replied smiling. "That's why I love you."

"Sorry." Luca was cheerful with a beautiful and carefree smile. He did not judge others and had no desire for revenge. Instead, the purple-haired teen lived in the present rather than being a prisoner of the past. All Ulgar had done was making him feel miserable and demonstrated that he was unfit to protect the other. "I nearly let you die and even made you save me. You deserve someone better than me."

Luca's smile remained unchanged. "I forgive you", he said. "If you kiss me."

Ulgar looked at the other. He already knew how soft Luca's lips were. How much time had passed since he had last tasted them!

"But you better be careful", Luca continued. "I'm still a virgin after all."

"What do you think I'm gonna do to you?!"

"Well, given your – " Luca could not finish his sentence as suddenly, his upper body was pulled forward and Ulgar's lips were on his.

There was no other way to stop Luca's loose tongue and Ulgar enjoyed the shocked expression in the other's eyes. "I love you", he whispered, letting go of the other. "I should have told you straight on Arispade but I didn't even realise. I'm an idiot."

"It's my fault", Luca replied, his mind still lost in the stratosphere. To think Ulgar had actually kissed him! "I didn't consider that anyone would fall in love with me after seeing me naked."

"I already apologised for that!"

The purple-haired teen shook his head. "I'm glad it happened. I wouldn't have gotten your attention otherwise, would I?"

"Well, I thought you were a guy", Ulgar explained. "I mean … that… ", he added, not wanting to contradict his earlier statements about the unimportance of Luca's gender.

"Don't worry", Luca said. "I already know you're into boobs."

"Don't say it like that!"

"You think I can't see you staring at my chest?"

"I'm not staring!"

"I think we better go", Luca suggested. Passers-by, mostly women with their shopping baskets and over-curious children, had stopped and were watching the two. "My chest is drawing more attention than I wanted."

"I doubt that's the issue here", Ulgar whispered as he got up. His face already dark red, he extended his hand to Luca. "Because it's a date."

The purple-haired teen nodded and put his hand into Ulgar's. "It's a date."

It was a strange feeling, walking through the streets together with Luca. The Nemesian city resembled Mousanish, although it felt like they had gone a few hundred years in the past. While the houses looked modern, they were never more than two storeys high and the windows had no glass in them and some did not even have doors, just an open doorframe. Due to the city being sheltered from the weather, there was no need for these things. Plus, Elysion had explained to them that burglary was unheard of on Nemesis due to their religion. It was indeed peaceful in the streets, there was chatter and laughter here and there but no incidences or arguments.

"Look, these are apples!", Luca suddenly shouted pointing towards on of the shops. In front of the building, a variety of fruits were on display. "They look just like those on Astra. Do you think we can try one?"

Ulgar looked at the apples and back at Luca, the excitement visible in his eyes. They did not have money nor any idea about the local currency. But being on a date and unable to pay for the person he loved hurt his pride in a way he had never imagined. "Wait here for a second", he said. His only option was to sell something.

The black-haired teen sighed as he spotted a shop with spears on display. How convenient that weapons were sold on the high street like hot dogs.

Fighting only caused Luca to suffer and he knew that being able to protect his friend was an illusion. Plus, now considering the monsters their equal, Luca would not approve of him killing them. He sighed again as he handed the teddy's claw to the merchant. Luca's smile was more valuable than a piece of a cadaver.

"Where did you go?", Luca asked him, already eating the apple.

"Just sold some junk", Ulgar responded, giving the other a questioning glance.

"Oh this? I told them you'd pay for me."

"You did what?!" Perhaps he should go and buy back the claw.

"But you have money now, don't you?" Luca then changed his tone, holding out the half-eating apple. "Here, I saved some for you."

Ulgar did not know why he went into the shop, dumping the golden coin he had received from the weapon merchant onto the counter. There were no marks on it and the black-haired teens could not guess its value. "That's for the apple my friend stole."

There was a blonde girl serving him at the till. "How odd", she said looking at the coin. "I gave your friend that apple for free but thanks for coming back. I don't think we have enough change for that though. Just don't worry about it."

Ulgar could see Luca's grin from outside. He knew that once again he had been played by the other.

Outside, Luca shrugged and explained, "you looked like you wanted to pay."

Ulgar blushed and did not even understand why. "Well if you want … I'll buy you something else." Given the reaction of the girl, he would be able to pay for whatever Luca wanted. Probably.

"The must have brought apples from Astra", Luca pondered as they were continuing to walk through the streets.

"So sour", Ulgar commented as he finished the rest of the apple and tossed the remainder into a bin. "I wonder if they – "

"Let's go in there!", Luca interrupted pointing towards another shop. "I want to get black dye for your clothes."

"You don't have to – " But his friend had already vanished inside the building.

A couple of hours and all of his patience later, Ulgar found himself exiting the stop carrying a number of paper bags filled with various items. The fact that he had still money left gave testimony to the claw's value. "What are you gonna do with all of this?", the black-haired teen asked as they continued to walk down the high street.

"I want to make new clothes for Aries and me. The Nemesians kept ours when they gave us those dresses", Luca explained. "What a shame, I'll have to take Aries' measurements again… ."

Ulgar looked to the ground, unsure of what to reply. He did not approve of Luca being too close with the girls, but neither with the boys. However, he also did not want to stop him from interacting with their friends.

"I'm joking", Luca finally clarified, visibly enjoying seeing Ulgar being at a loss of words. "But what kinds of clothes do you want to see me wearing? Cute … or sexy?"

"Why would I care what you're wearing?"

"Guess you're only interested in seeing me naked..."

"That's not it!" Well, it was his own fault that Luca saw him as a pervert. "You see… I like… spending time with you. I like looking at you … your clothes always look good anyway. And… ." Ulgar knew he had been fooled when he saw Luca's grin. Perhaps one day he would learn. But for now, he was happy walking down the street hand-in-hand with the person he loved.


	17. Chapter 17

First of all, a massive thank you to A.J. Aviary for reviewing every chapter! It made me incredibly happy.

Secondly, I hope everyone is safely at home!

Lastly, this is chapter is a bit short but mysteriously, it's all I managed to write in nearly six months! I just felt this fic deserves a proper ending rather than being rushed because I didn't feel like writing. So I decided to take a break.

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"Man, I'm absolutely starving…", Kanata complained as the sun was setting, or rather the light emitted by the plants darkened. "The food looked delicious… ."

Around them, the market stalls were closing. The streets were almost empty and the smell of cooked food coming from the residential area filled the roads instead. "Well, it can't be helped if we don't have money", Aries replied. "Let's look for jobs tomorrow." Yet her cheerful smile could not mask the rumbling of her stomach.

"I'm sorry, Aries…" He had invited her, so Kanata felt responsible for their inability to explore the foreign cuisine.

"Ah, don't worry", the girl blushed. They had observed the locals, watched them eating all kinds of foods, and talked about their lives on planet Astra. "I had a wonderful day with you, even if we couldn't eat any of the food."

An awkward silence followed as the two waited for the others to arrive at the market square.

"Are you an idiot?" Quitterie surprised them from behind. "Don't tell me you haven't eaten all day? You could've sold some junk, you know." It was unbelievable how their captain had ruined Aries' first date. The discontent obvious on her face, she pointed to Yun-Hua next to her. The black-haired girl was holding two brown paper bags. "Look what my hairpin got us."

Yun Hua took out a delicious-looking pastry from the back. "You can have some if you like."

"That's why I don't like stupid guys." Quitterie sighed seeing her captain and Aries devouring the food. "I hope Ulgar treated you better, Luca... Come to think of it, where is he?"

The purple-haired teen had just joined the group. It was only the five of them, plus Funicia, on the market square. It was not yet dark so it would be impossible to miss the black-haired teen.

Luca nodded. "I had fun today." He had not managed to make his friend smile but Ulgar had bought him everything he wanted. His generosity was surprising. Plus, he had kissed him! Not that Luca could tell the others though. "Ulgar should be here any minute, he's just a bit slow."

As if he had heard his name, the black-haired teen entered their field of vision, the reason for his delay obvious. A number of shopping bags in his hands, he was visibly struggling under their weight.

"That must have cost a fortune", Aries exclaimed still eating her pastry.

"Seriously, what did you sell to get that much money?", Quitterie added. The inconspicuous paper bags seemed to hide a whole shop's inventory. It reminded her of a shopping trip in the good old days back on planet Astra.

Luca shrugged. "He said he sold 'some junk'. You'd think he would tell me, right? But that's Mr. Tongue-Tied for you." Looking back to Ulgar, he wondered how where his money had come from.

Meanwhile, Funicia was looking through the bags the black-haired teen had carried, perhaps hoping to find a treat. With a child-like fascination, Luca noted how Ulgar's facial expression softened, his eyes focussed on the girl. Angry-face Ulgar was handsome but his smile was absolutely irresistible. One day perhaps he would smile at him.

"Let's see what Zack and Charce got!"

Aries' voice brought Luca back to reality. He blushed and hoped nobody had noticed him staring.

Zack and Charce had just joined the group. In contrast to Ulgar, they were almost empty handed, holding only a small bag each. Upon everyone's questioning glances, the pilot revealed the content of his bag. Filled to the brim with small golden coins, everyone was speechless.

"1, 223,905 Nemesian dollars", Zack explained with a casual tone. "Or in other words—"

"We're millionaires.", Charce continued, sparkling as usual.

Quitterie squeaked for joy. "We can buy food and leave this stupid planet!"

"With so much money should we give the rest to Elsyon?", Aries asked having forgotten about her pastry.

Ulgar just watched everyone's ecstasy in silence. There was something everyone seemed to have forgotten about. Money did not tend to fall from the sky. "So what did you sell?"

"Oh, just some junk from the Astra", Zack hurried to say without giving away any detail.

"More importantly, there is something else you should see", Charce changed the topic, his voice now more serious. He showed the others a newspaper he had picked up during the day. Made of paper, it was nothing like the digital versions the group was used to see. Written in English, the blonde pointed out an article on the title page.

The title photo spoke for itself. "It's the guy from the cave!" Luca immediately recognised the figure as the person responsible for his abduction. The grey hair and cold gaze undeniably belonged to the man who had led them to the banquet.

"Alfred is being sacrificed instead of us?", Aries asked in disbelief after reading the headline.

"That's how things work on Nemesis", Ulgar answered unsurprised. Had they others really thought they had changed the relationship of Nemesis' inhabitants just by rescuing two sacrifices? "Serves him right after what he did. At least we don't—" He stopped mid-sentence, feeling Luca's gaze on him. Of course, that guy would care…

"Oh, so his name is Alfred", Kanata looked at the article but seemingly failed to understand the message. "It doesn't state his name in the article though."

"I became friends with him at the party", Aries explained, recalling the banquet. Although her impeccable memory of the night was somewhat hazy, she still remembered everyone she had met. "We have to save him, Kanata."

It was probably a one-sided friendship given that Alfred had planned to feed them to the Disturians. But Ulgar was wise enough to not voice that thought. He would not be able to stop them anyway.

The Astra's captain nodded. "Of course we'll save him."

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The next chapter will be longer, I promise!

Please review and let me know how you are


	18. Chapter 18

There were fewer pans in the kitchen, Ulgar noted as he was tidying the kitchen after dinner. And a couple of pots were missing their lids. Were they still lying in the wet grass were the nightmares had attacked them? More likely, Zack and Charce had sold them to fund their journey back to Astra.

"Where is the desk from my room?", Ulgar heard Quitterie asking from the lounge, her voice not hiding how upset she was. "Don't tell me you sold it!"

"I did", Zack admitted not the least bit affected by the girl's outburst.

"How could you do that? What kind of partner sells his fiance's belongings?"

"Because you can just use my desk if you need to", the pilot explained casually.

Quitterie gasped. It would give her a reason to visit the other whenever she wanted. Moreover, it was almost like they were moving in together. "Alright, I forgive you this time."

"Ulgar", Kanata called out to him, ignoring the couple in the lounge. "The girls are having another sleepover so we guys are having one, too. Elsyon will also be there. You're gonna join, right?"

The addressed boy sighed. Yes, a random guy he hated for abducting Luca was going to die soon. For some strange reason that he had stopped to try and understand, everyone cared about him. Yet Team B-5 was having a sleepover instead of hurrying to his rescue, confident that they could just walk up and talk to the monsters of Nemesis tomorrow and miraculously solve the dilemma. Everything always fell into place for them and by now Ulgar had already accepted that that was their fate.

Well, not that he cared about Alfred so there was no reason for him to worry. Either way, they would soon be able to leave Nemesis. "Do what you like but don't involve me, captain." He sighed for the second time. Luca was probably in one of the girls' rooms already, enjoying the view. Or perhaps he would try to get another glance at Kanata's abs. Ulgar never knew who he should be jealous of with Luca.

Without given Kanata another chance to persuade him, the black-haired teen headed back to his room. The presumably last night on Nemesis would be one of peace and silence for him—or so he thought.

"Where have you been?", Luca greeted him cheerfully as always. "I've been waiting for you forever!"

As it turned out Luca had not gone to the girl's sleepover. "What are you doing here?" Given that the purple-haired teen had brought over his mattress, the question was as unnecessary as it was awkward. "Well, I mean… Not that I mind you being here."

"A sleepover without you would be boring", Luca explained smiling. "Don't worry, I told Aries I was going to the guys' sleepover and Kanata that I was going to join the girls." He knew Ulgar wouldn't want the others to know what they were up to. Plus, meeting in secret was much more entertaining anyway.

Surely, this was not right. "I'm going to take a shower." As the cold water brought him back to reality, Ulgar wondered whether relationships normally progressed this quickly. For the first time, the black-haired teen cursed his lack of interest in other people. He did not think that Quitterie was sleeping in Zack's room but who knew. On the other hand, Aries almost certainly did not sleep in the captain's room. Or did she?

Luca was probably just toying with him again. As usual, the purple-haired teen took pleasure in getting him flustered. However, that did not help Ulgar in finding out how to deal with the situation. The most important point, he figured as he went back to his room, was to not mess up anymore and act like a pervert.

"Good night", he said brusquely upon entering his room and went straight into his bed. There. Nobody would think of him as a pervert now. Luca would not get any amusement out of him tonight.

"But it's still early", his friend complained sitting on his mattress like a child forgotten in the play area.

His pajama was not fully buttoned up and the fabric was way too thin anyway. How could anyone be expected to sleep with temptation in person sharing his room? Reluctantly, Ulgar got back up and turned off the light. Temptation meant nothing to him now. "I'm tired, that's all."

"Do you always go to bed this early?", the purple-haired teen wondered, ignoring the darkness. "What time do you like getting up? Are you a morning person?"

Turned out turning off the light offered little protection from Luca's voice. "How about you?", Ulgar asked abandoning his attempt to sleep. His head almost completely covered by the duvet and facing the wall, he realised he did not know all that much about Luca. Barely anything to tell the truth.

Luca was still sitting cross-legged on his mattress, trying to make out the other's silhouette in the darkness, helped by a night light near the door. It was unusual for Ulgar to ask questions. "You really want to know?"

Ulgar did not know why he blushed over such a mundane topic. "Yeah." At least the purple-haired teen could not see him.

"Hm", Luca thought. "I don't like getting up early. But if it's for you, I'll try! Do you really want to sleep now?"

"No." Not that he would be able to sleep with Luca talking anyway.

"I'll join you then." Without waiting for a reply, Luca left his place on the mattress and sat down on the bed.

Ulgar could not comprehend why Luca's face was suddenly above him. Far too close, he thought almost scared. He was still processing the fact that he had kissed the other only hours earlier. Love had been a feeling completely alien to him but now it was as real as the hate he had felt for many years. "You're too close", the black-haired teen complained weakly.

"But that's what couples do", Luca replied, looking at the other expectantly.

"We're a couple?", the black-haired teen asked. He knew so little about relationships that he had not even noticed. Not that he minded. "We're a couple."

"Yeah", Luca confirmed, getting closer.

Ulgar was unable to decide whether the other was still only teasing him or actually trying to seduce him. Afraid about his own possible action, he closed his eyes, attempting to hide the desire that was visible in them.

"Are you scared?", the purple-haired teen asked amused by Ulgar's reaction. For a moment, Luca remained motionless. His eyes, now used to the darkness, were focused on his friend's face. Ulgar's skin was pale and flawless, the eyelashes even longer when his eyes were closed. How was it allowed for someone to be this hot? How could the other expect him to keep his hands off him?

With Luca above him, Ulgar slowly reopened his eyes. Even in the darkness, Luca's slender body was like a doll that would break upon his touch. Yet the other's white skin attracted his hands like a magnet. Perhaps it was okay to touch Luca, Ulgar thought but his hands had already moved forwards.

Startled by the motion, Luca lost his balance, now lying on top of the other. Ulgar did not mind, fearing that the purple-haired teen could be uncomfortable, he turned around and moved so that he was on top of the other, his weight supported by his legs and one arm.

"I am", he answered Luca's question way too late. It was only a whisper before his mouth busied itself with kissing the other.

His friend's skin was soft and reality felt much better than Ulgar's imagination. Their kiss broke and he gasped for air before meeting the other's lips again, this time with his mouth open, seeking Luca's tongue.

Luca felt his heartbeat rising as Ulgar's tongue entered his mouth, hesitantly at first, but quickly becoming more passionate. He had never thought the black-haired teen would react to his teasing and his intensity, albeit welcome, surprised him.

Having finished with Luca's mouth, Ulgar moved downwards, kissing his neck. The rational part of his brain had long stopped working, forgotten all caution and given in to desire. His hands moved on their own; now Luca's pajama was suddenly unbuttoned.

Luca softly moaned as he felt Ulgar's hands on his breasts. How could the black-haired teen be so skilled? Why did he know exactly where to touch him?

After caressing his breasts, Ulgar moved further downwards. Luca's waistline was slim, he noted surprised despite his mind struggling to form a logical sentence. He could see Luca's pants where his pajama bottom had moved down due to their movement. Male pants. As sexy as a wrinkled potato. But it was Luca who was wearing them, Ulgar decided unaffected.

As he was kissing the other's bellybutton, he suddenly stopped, feeling Luca's body stiffening. "Are you alright?", he asked, still breathing heavily.

In a panic, Luca did not know how to answer. There was a line he would never able to cross, even though Ulgar made him feel desired. Even though he wanted Ulgar as much as the other wanted him. Stopping now required all his willpower but there was no way he could continue. "I'm sorry, Ulgar", Luca finally replied, guilt audible in his voice. "I... can't do this."

For a moment, the black-haired teen struggled for control. It was hard to contain his ecstasy, desire urging him to continue. Yet Ulgar forced himself to stop. "What's wrong?", he asked trying to sound sober.

"I need to go now", Luca explained, Ulgar still above him. "Please… ."

The black-haired teen just nodded. Luca looked so vulnerable and fragile, he wondered why he did not notice before. It was not at all the look of someone who enjoyed himself, rather it was the look of a scared kitten hiding in a corner.

After Luca had fled the room, Ulgar sat in the darkness and wondered what had gone wrong. It was the purple-haired teen who had started this after all. Why would Luca lead him on for no reason? Or perhaps he had been too eager and scared the purple-haired teen? With only questions in his mind, sleeping was impossible for him now.

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Please review


	19. Chapter 19

Thanks for everyone's reviews! It made me so happy to read!

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What had he done! When Ulgar woke up, staring at the ceiling, he could not believe that he had nearly slept with Luca. No wonder the purple-haired teen had run off. Ulgar's selfish behaviour must have scared him to death! But how could he have resisted? Just thinking of Luca's body made him feel hot all over again. Ashamed and embarrassed he reached out to his lower abdomen, in a sad attempt to revive last night's pleasure. Ulgar knew he would never be able to look into the other's grey eyes again after this.

Meanwhile, Luca stood in front of a mirror in his room. Looking down on his naked body, he did not know why he had been made like this. Ulgar had accepted him as he was but the black-haired teen had never seen all of him. His genitals were not that of a woman or that of a man. Would Ulgar even fit inside him? Luca did not know and he could not dare to find an answer, letting the other see what he looked like. The reason he loved teasing was because he knew he could never be serious.

Finally, after throwing over his school uniform, Luca went to see Quitterie. Out of everyone on board of the Astra, the blonde was the most experienced with relationships, even being engaged. He found the girl preparing breakfast in the kitchen, a place were she rarely hung out. "Good morning", Quitterie greeted him. "I was sure we had more cutlery. Some pans seem to be missing as well. I was trying to make food for Zack."

"Zack and Charce probably sold them", Luca replied shrugging. "Anyway, I wanted to ask you something." He paused, unsure about how to voice his question. "Speaking of Zack, have you two ever done… you know… ."

Quitterie shrieked, her face dark red. "You mean THAT? Me and Zack kissing? We… we're not married yet!"

Kissing was not quite what Luca had meant but he still nodded. "Well, I guess you're right." It was unbelievable that a guy like Ulgar had more kissing experience than Quitterie.

"Did Ulgar force you to anything?", Quitterie asked, wondering about the other's motive.

"No, that's not it", the purple-haired teen answered. "I was just curious— "

"Kanata told me to tell you that he wants to leave now", Funicia interrupted the conversation. "Are you okay, Luca?", she then asked, noting his expression.

Luca nodded quickly. "Let's go then. I bet Alfred isn't expecting us to come to his rescue."

Outside, the woodland was as quiet as ever. Apart from some far-away animal noises, Team B-5 appeared to be the only ones out. Even the canopy network of bridges was deserted and served as a welcomed shortcut to the sacrificial site. As the sky was clear, the group had decided to walk as a large spaceship might alert the Disturians about their presence.

"I hope they're not attacking the Astra while we're gone", Quitterie said thinking of Zack and Funicia who had stayed behind in case the monsters decided to pay them a visit.

"I'm sure they'll be fine", Aries smiled. "Once we talk to the Distopians I'm sure we'll come to an understanding with them."

Ulgar watched the girls from behind, Luca walking silently next to them. They had not spoken a word and the black-haired teen felt relieved that the other seemed to avoid him too. When they climbed up into the trees, Ulgar felt reminded of how he had held hands with Luca the first time they had come here. Now it felt like a distant dream.

Luca, on the other hand, was glad that the others were with them so he did not have to talk to Ulgar. Yet feeling his friend's gaze on him made him want to talk. Surely Ulgar would understand. Surely, his friend would not judge him. But the fear of rejection ran too deep.

"We're close. The place must be over there", Aries suddenly pointed out. They were nearing the edge of the woodland, the air was already saturated with moisture and they felt the soft embrace of the fog that surrounded the sacrificial ground.

"Let's split up and search", Kanata suggested. "We need to find Alfred before the Disturians arrive."

Unlike everyone else, Ulgar was not surprised that Luca immediately teamed up with Charce and vanished before the blonde could even say anything. He sighed looking at Yun-Hua who had been left to partner up with Ulgar. At least the tall girl was quiet and would not bother him, the black-haired teen thought.

Luca. Ulgar knew he had messed up their relationship but he could not help but worry about his friend. He was always overly curious, acted before thinking, and underestimated dangers. "I'll search over here", he said to Yun-Hua and moved into the direction Luca had gone. At least he could be near him so that he would always be ready to save the purple-haired teen from danger, not that he had cared about finding Alfred from the start.

"Alfred!", Aries suddenly shouted out, attracting the attention of the rest of the group. The man in question was kneeling in front of her. His eyes were closed and his hands folded carefully. "We were so worried about you!" While the translator worked its magic, she looked around but there was no sign of any guards.

"There are no chains", Charce, who had arrived first, realised. It was still foggy but the ground was clearly visible. "That's odd, he could just walk away."

"Whatever." Behind him, Ulgar shrugged. "Let's just take him and get out of here." He did not fancy waiting for the Disturians to show up. Standing directly in front of the Nemesian, who was in a trance-like state, he shouted. "Wake up!"

The man slowly opened his eyes as if awakened from a long slumber. Visibly confused he stared at the group. The words coming from his mouth were rhythmically and melodically but did not immediately make sense to the students.

"What is he saying?", Kanata asked, looking at Aries who was holding Zack's translator.

"We shouldn't disturb his, ehm, prayer", the girl replied, reading the words from the display. "I wonder what this means", she continued questioning the meaning of the last word.

"It must be a malfunction." While everyone was still confused, Charce took the translator, speaking into its microphone. "We apologise for disturbing you, Alfred." The sounds coming out of the speaker matched the Nemesian language, or at least they hoped it would.

But the Nemesian seemed to understand and listed as the blonde explained the situation. As Charce continued, the other's expression became progressively more annoyed. "You came here to disturb the ceremony. Being chosen as a sacrifice is a great honour that only the most devoted are privileged enough to experience. Seeing that you ran away" - he nodded towards Luca and Aries - "you are an utter disgrace to us who have offered you hospitality. I would appreciate it if you could stop soiling this sacred ground with your presence at once."

"Geez, sorry for wanting to be alive", Luca replied to the words Charce read from the translator. Charce's intonation was perfectly befitting the words, almost as if he was a professional actor.

"We're sorry for running away", Aries replied, overtoning Luca's words. As she was a lot closer to Charce, the translator picked-up her words. "We didn't understand your ritual. Maybe you could... uh... give us a second chance, Alfred?"

"A second chance to be eaten by a monster?", Ulgar commented. "Given that he's happy here, we should just leave him. Serves this traitor right anyway." He expected Luca to say something in response to his words, perhaps teasing him as usual. But the purple-haired teen remained quiet. Another reminder that he had messed up.

"Alfred, can speak the language of the Disturians?", Kanata asked suddenly.

Despite his initial annoyance, the Nemesian seemed happy to have a chance to explain more about his relationship to the monsters of Nemesis. "The divine language the gods bestowed upon us is too complex for mere commoners like us to fully grasp. Having studied its many nuances over the course of my life, I am capable of conversing, albeit in a most disgraceful manner."

The Astra's captain just looked at him in confusion.

"He means he can talk to them", Charce explained quickly.

Kanata smiled."Let's go meet them then!"


End file.
